Washington – US Officials: Israel Defense Chief Denied Meetings

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    Defense Minister Moshe Boogie Yaalon meets visits at a hospital for wounded US soldiers in Washington, USA on October 23, 2014. Photo by Ariel Hermoni/Ministry Of Defence Washington – Still miffed over negative comments that Israel’s defense minister made about Secretary of State John Kerry’s Mideast peace efforts and nuclear negotiations with Iran, the Obama administration this week refused his requests to meet several top national security aides, U.S. officials said Friday.

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    While Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon did see Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power, the officials said the White House and State Department rejected Israeli proposals for meetings with Vice President Joe Biden, national security adviser Susan Rice and Kerry on his five-day trip to the United States. The administration had sought to stop Ya’alon from seeing Power but the objections were made too late to cancel the meeting, according to the officials.

    The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the snubs, which were first reported by several Israeli media outlets.

    Ya’alon met with Hagel at the Pentagon on Tuesday. Kerry himself was out of the country until late Wednesday, but the officials said pointedly that a meeting with the secretary of state could have been arranged before Ya’alon departs the U.S.

    The State Department declined to comment on internal deliberations about who Ya’alon should see, but noted that the meeting with his counterpart Hagel was “a natural, standard procedure.”

    Visiting Israeli defense ministers, including Ya’alon’s immediate predecessor Ehud Barak, have in the past been granted meetings with senior U.S. officials other than their direct counterparts. This week’s refusals come amid increasingly strained U.S.-Israel relations, particularly over criticism of Kerry by several members of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet, including Ya’alon.

    Earlier this year, Ya’alon infuriated officials in Washington with comments accusing the administration of being weak on Iran and questioning the U.S. commitment to Israel’s security. That followed reports that Ya’alon had criticized Kerry for being unrealistic and naive in trying to forge an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal.


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    7 Comments
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    Liepa
    Liepa
    9 years ago

    Obama, we hate to see you go! We hate to see you, GO (already) !!!

    yidele1
    yidele1
    9 years ago

    why does he want to meet with this good for nothing anyway?

    9 years ago

    This is just more of muslim-born obama’s hatred of Jews. No other US president has snubbed Israel this many times before, or been so disdainful of Israel short of Jimmy Carter…

    9 years ago

    These snubs are premeditated. Obama is telling Israel that US is no longer its ally, at least as long as he is in office.

    Refyok
    Refyok
    9 years ago

    No other Israeli administration has acted as disgracefully and disrespectfully towards an American admin. as Bibi and co. have.
    I don’t blame Obama one bit.

    yankee96
    yankee96
    9 years ago

    Israel must finally become independent militarily from the U.S.

    Economically it is almost there now,and technologicaly it is already ahead.

    Then, it won’t make a difference who is President,especially with a possible Clinton presidency looming in the future,and 8 more years of pressure on Israel.

    qazxc
    qazxc
    9 years ago

    Can’t wait for Bibi to be so insulted that he refuses to accept any more USA aid. That will teach the Americans a lesson.

    Until then he is a shnorrer in a fancy suit.