FoxNews
Updated March 23, 2010
AP
Israel's prime minister showed a greater ease during a photo-op with House leaders who spoke in a united voice in support of Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu got a warmer public reception from Congress than from the Obama administration, with a top Democrat and Republican joining Tuesday to welcome a leader who has agreed to disagree with the White House over Israeli housing expansion on disputed ground.
"We in Congress stand by Israel," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi assured Netanyahu at an all-smiles appearance before the cameras. "In Congress we speak with one voice on the subject of Israel."
Netanyahu's meeting with President Obama later on Tuesday will be closed to journalists, leaving the impression he was not comfortable being seen or photographed with top administration officials.
(Note: This is very funny! Does Fox News or our Administration think all of us were bron this morning? Netanyahu just spoke to the world last night and to 7,500 sitting in the audience; hardly someone who would be "uncomfortable being seen or photographed with "top" administration!! No, it is the administration/Obama/Clinton who have embarrassed themselves and fear being seen under the spotlight of cameras, facing Netanyahu. Afterall, this Administration is more comfortable dealing behind closed doors, in secret, rather than allow the American people to learn what the Administration is up to i.e. health-care refom/bribes for votes, etc. Clinton and Biden had no problem condemning Israel in public, before the world for the past two weeks, but after Netanyahu's speech last night, they fear that their betrayal of our ally Israel will be seen for what it is - a pretense to falsely accuse and condemn an ally before the world. Just another example that this Administration cannot face the truth. Netanyahu is not afraid to speak the truth, as he so eloquently addressed Americans (and the world) last night. An absolute shame that our own leaders are not confident to do the same - speak the truth to the American people and America's allies.)
The Obama administration appears eager to let Netanyahu's awkwardly timed visit pass with as little public remark as possible, and has refused to detail what promises Netanyahu is making to ease the most serious diplomatic breach between the two nations in decades.
The abrupt rescheduling of Netanyahu's planned trip to the State Department for what had been billed as a public meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Monday underscored the uneasy atmosphere. Netanyahu's meeting with Clinton took place at his hotel and was closed to the press.
"We have no stronger ally anywhere in the world than Israel," said House Republican Leader John Boehner. "We all know we're in a difficult moment. I'm glad the prime minister is here so we can have an open dialogue."
Pelosi and Boehner both pointed to the threat from Iran as a top concern, and an area in which the United States will cooperate with Israel.
Netanyahu thanked his congressional hosts for what he called warm, bipartisan support. He also spoke, among others, with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Foreign Relations chairman John Kerry of Massachusetts, House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Howard Berman, D-Calif., Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, and Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn.
"We face 2 great challenges", Netanyahu said, a "quest for peace with our Palestinian neighbors" and stopping Iran from developing atomic weapons.
Netanyahu has been trying to deflect U.S. criticism of his government's plans for 1,600 housing units in a part of Jerusalem that Palestinians claim as their own. He bluntly asserted before the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee Monday that "Jerusalem is not a settlement. It's our capital." (When did speaking the truth begin being referred to as "bluntly", as if it is rude to speak the truth? Somethng tells me this writer is biased and attempting to cover for our back-door, secretative, pompous Administation - and this Administration that lies to the American people would not know the truth if it hit them square between the eyes.)
Clinton told a pro-Israel audience Monday that Israeli expansion in areas claimed by the Palestinians is not in Israel's long-term interests and undermines U.S. credibility as a mediator in the Mideast peace process. (Keep repeating this over and over and over, Clinton. Don't you think Israel is more aware of what is in her "best interest"? What this writer ignores is the FACT that when Clinton speaks, she speaks for Obama - she is Obama's messenger/mouthpiece and we all are very aware of who Obama has chosen for his bedfellows i.e. Palestinians, Hamas over an ally.)
Obama has remained out of the fray as Clinton and other U.S. officials have rebuked Israel. (ha ha ha...yup, we all believe this one!!)
After strong statements on both sides, the Obama administration and the Netanyahu camp struck a stance of relative silence Tuesday.
P.J. Crowley, the State Department spokesman, lifting the curtain a bit to the Associated Press, said: "This is a process with give and take, and that is exactly what is happening. We laid out our concerns and the Israelis have laid out their concerns, and we continue discussions with both parties."
Crowley said that public stance would be maintained. "We are not going to talk about the precise steps both sides have to take. We will continue to discuss those steps privately," he said. (Hmm! Guess last night's speech by Netanyahu has prompted this Administration to learn a little respect and diplomacy, by learning to discuss matters "privately" - something Biden and Clinton should have done two weeks ago instead of airing their laundry in front of the public!)
