Obama, Netanyahu speak by phone; 'united' on Iran: White House

“So far the response has been that Obama’s very tight schedule does not allow such a meeting,” the Israeli official said."

Too busy campaigning now ( has been for 2 1/2 years, last year was busy playing golf like GWB) to meet with heads of state.

Perhaps it's time to amend the term limit of President to one ( six-year?) term.

Good on you Obama. Netanyahu is a war mongerer who wants the US to enter into further conflict in the ME on Israel's behalf. About time an American president said no to the Israelies. No proof to date that the Iranians are aiming to develop a nuclear bomb.

"Obama's time is dominated by campaign commitments"

What! Obama is still campaigning? I thought Romney had no chance, and anyway, shouldn't the president's time be dominated by more important things?

While I'm mostly an Israel supporter, I have to say Netanyahu was and still is an overbearing jerk.

@Simond

To turn your back on a staunch ally that has helped us time and time again and for the last 70 years since the creation of the Jewish state, America was there from the beginning. There is every proof that Iran is building a bomb to attack Iran with, if you don't think so, then you are living in a dream world! Amazing, you think Israel should just sit back and let Iran a country who's government swore to annihilate the country and who said, the Holocaust never happened. Obama just opened Pandora's box with Israel, because of them, we were able to find out a lot of the terrorists activities as to what they had planned for attacks on American interests and he wants to kick Israel in the stomach. This President is insane, totally out of his mind for doing this! There will be huge ramifications about this. Never turn your back on your friends!

There is every proof that Iran is building a bomb to attack Iran with,

bass4funk@ They have my wholehearted permission to do this, although you must surely agree that a country nuking itself would be unprecedented.

Netanyahoo is just as bad as any of the other so called "leaders" in the middle east.

Israel does not want peace. If there was true peace in the middle east, then it would be extremely hard for Israel to continually grab other peoples land under the name of "security".

If people took the time to look at the facts, data, timelines, maps etc, one would find that it has been mostly Arabs who have been killed and lost their land and income over the last 60 years.

Violence is violence and comes in many forms, no matter which side it comes from. And clearly has been coming from both sides.

What surprises me, is the number of people in the US whom a logic civilised conversation on this topic is almost impossible.

@James

I can tell you really don't know how mideast politics work. If you really did, then you would realize that what you say is totally false.

Good move on Obama's part if this is true.

America needs to quit sending financial aid to this terrorist state and stop pandering to it based on biblical fairy stories that Israel is the site of Christ's second cowing.

We can't even prove the Christian god exists....! - although I'm quite certain there's some posters on JT who will protest that claim while being completely and utterly incapable of proving otherwise.

Enough nonsense.

@Sushi

Does that mean you support Obama to stop sending money to Egypt and to Pakistan, two countries that have no vested interests in the US and are NOT our allies?! Two groups that openly support radical Islam and they just stormed our embassy, took down our flag and put an Al Qaida flag up. You support that? Well, we now know what our President is and who he supports, but I am glad, finally, the man revealed himself.

This is a total outrage and enough of this President.

@Rince

If you think otherwise, then you are seriously the Kool-aid drinker that I expect from Liberals, weak and cowardly, I would expect nothing less. FOX or Bush has nothing to do with it, but of course, Liberals need a catalyst. So yeah, why not. Israel is not a friend, but Egypt and Pakistan is? WOW!

SushiSake3 has to be commended on a Great Post, We all know who the real Terrorists are in the Middle East, and it aint the Arabs...

canadian@with the founding of their state in 1948, the Jews served notice to the rest of they world that their continued existence will no longer be dependent on the dispensation of begrudged tolerance by others. Israel's attitude is that when and if the next attempt at genocide takes place, that country will drag down the rest of the middle east with it. At that point, accusations of who the "real terrorists" were won't matter any more.

Bass - "This President is insane, totally out of his mind for doing this! There will be huge ramifications about this. Never turn your back on your friends!"

LOL! Every time America wants to create a peace plan for the ME, Israel goes and puts a bomb under it - either by building more houses and expanding settlements, refusing to negotiate, and other reasons.

With friends like Israel, who needs enemies???

This is the worst decision that Obama could think of the repercussions will come back to the Democrats, they are already being seen as anti-Israel and that is NOT how you deal with one of your closest ally! It took our President a few months to tear down what took other Presidents since 1946 to build up. Amazing!

Liberals are their absolute worst! They have NO shame!

@Sushi

Pakistan

Egypt

Al Qaida

Taliban

Hezzbolah

Syria

Iran

That enough for you?!

Bass - They have NO shame!

ha ha, :-)

The only ones with the lack of shame are the Americans who back their government's support of a terrorist state.

America gifts $400 BILLION a year to Israel.

$400 BILLION !! Think what that money could do at home.

Continuing to send this money to Israel is an absolutely disgrace.

Digging further, that $400 billions has strings - Israel has to use something like 75% of it to purchase US military and munitions.

@Sushi

I wish you would feel that way about how our President is spending money. In comparison $400 billion is almost chump change.

Digging further, that $400 billions has strings - Israel has to use something like 75% of it to purchase US military and munitions.

And why NOT? When you are surrounded by enemies that call for your destruction, I think Israel should do more in my opinion to do keep their country safe!

Bass - " wish you would feel that way about how our President is spending money."

Believe me, I do.

President Obama wants to spend more money in America on Americans.

Bringing the Iraq war to a close - good. Reduce spending on war and creating enemies. Winding down the Afghanistan war - again, good. Reduce spending on war and creating enemies. Spending on America's infrastructure - GREAT! Bad luck the GOP wouldn't have a bar of it. Investing on alternative energy in America for Americans - GREAT! Bad luck the GOP wouldn't have a bar of it.

Investing in Americans' healthcare - GREAT! Bad luck the GOP wouldn't have a bar of it.

The GOP is a joke.

Bass - "I think Israel should do more in my opinion to do keep their country safe!"

I agree. Just not with American money.

Spend less on war and conflicts abroard and spend more at home on Americans and America.

I think this is a fantastic strategy - and I'm not even American.

Why do you and other anti-Obama Americans have a problem with this?

@Sushi

President Obama wants to spend more money in America on Americans.

As do I, especially tackling our incurring debt, he refuses to talk to our biggest ally Israel? What's next? He's going to snub the UK? Please!

infrastructure - GREAT! Bad luck the GOP wouldn't have a bar of it. Investing on alternative energy in America >for Americans - GREAT! Bad luck the GOP wouldn't have a bar of it.

Infrastructure? 4 Years of Democratic rule, 2 of them where all 3 branches were covered by Dems and they did nothing, they had the power, but I guess that wasn't TOP PRIORITY and yes, the Repubs didn't do anything either, but Obama trumps that horn and still nothing done. So sorry, the Dems dropped the ball on that and if they are given another 4 years, that won't change either.

Investing in Healthcare, you mean gutting $716 Billion to fund Obamacare? Not a waste??

The GOP is a joke.

Hearing you say that is the ultimate joke.

"I think Israel should do more in my opinion to do keep their country safe!"

They do, that doesn't mean, we cut and run and turn our tails on a friend and ally for OVER 70 YEARS!

I agree. Just not with American money.

We have NO MONEY remember, we are borrowing it from China.

Spend less on war and conflicts abroard and spend more at home on Americans and America.

To a point, but I am for a strong military defense and less of Liberals wasting it on pet projects that go bankrupt every single time. If it's privatized, go right ahead.

I think this is a fantastic strategy - and I'm not even American.

Bro' I know that, seriously, I know that. I'm going to digress here....

Why do you and other anti-Obama Americans have a problem with this?

I'll tell you, I have a problem with liberals thinking that the country has an inexhaustible amount of money laying around, I dislike the fact that when liberals are in the wrong, they never, ever want to admit it, I dislike the fact that when they are caught doing something wrong, they try to deceive or deflect the issues and blame it on everyone else, most notably on Bush. I would have more respect for this admin. when they have their shortcomings and they would say, We messed up, sorry, we will try harder, Clinton could do this (with the exception of the Lewinsky debacle) Everyone makes mistakes, but Obama seems like, never does and you guys never call him out on that. I was a huge Bush supporter, but I was never a Kool aid drinker and was aware of his shortcomings, but you liberals can never seem to do that. Obama alienates our friends and wants to befriend our enemies, that is in a nutshell as to why I and others have a problem with Obama and his policies and destroying this country.

My how this article "evolved " since this morning! The content changed quite a bit.

SS3, I'm with you on cutting the foreign aid, but not to only Israel. Why are US taxpayers footing the bill for such largess?

On foreign policy, the only constitutional position is non-intervention.

@Herve

So you think we should cut foreign aid to Israel? I can understand Pakistan, Egypt and maybe Saudi Arabia, but then again, it would be counterproductive, especially, since they have been quite helpful to us in the war on terror.

paulinusa: While I'm mostly an Israel supporter, I have to say Netanyahu was and still is an overbearing jerk.

Pretty much sums it up for me.

Israel has provided time and time again, it is a friend of the US only when it suits it. Remember the conversation between the French President and Obama where Netanyahoo was basically called a lair and could not be trusted? For the French to call him that, he must be worse than most of us thought.

Netanyahoo CANNOT BE TRUSTED. He is the Richard Nixon of Israel.

@Janes

The French were historically anti-Semitic and you were quoting Sarkozy are were surprised he said that?

bass4funk: Jean Sarkozy, the son of the former president, is married to Jessica Sarah Fanny Sebaoun, now Sarkozy, whom is from a well known French Jewish family. Please, check some facts before trolling supposed anti-semitism.

@bass, yes I oppose all foreign "aid" . Where does it all go? Much of it goes toward arming whatever regime is in power( taxpayers involuntarily paying for weapons) such as Saddam Hussein, Hozni Mubarak, the former Shah, et al. Even to the poorest of nations, thefunds largely go to the corrupt, it's a shell-game.

Not a bad argument, Herve. I will submit we need to be careful with who we give aid to, but I think for countries like Israel, we shouldn't turn our backs on one of our best supportive ally, snubbing them is a very bad thing, especially with our men and women out in the battlefield, we owe a lot to Israeli intelligence and that intelligence helped to keep our people safe in many occasions, but I do get your point.

people like sushi boy should get facts straight before putting up statements as ridiculous as this

"America gifts $400 BILLION a year to Israel."

"$400 BILLION !! Think what that money could do at home."

USA and Israel needs to come to terms with Hamas being a democratic party as if they wish to spread democracy and freedom. Israel can keep oppressing the Palestinians or embrace them.

SushiSake3: America gifts $400 BILLION a year to Israel

And in which reality is this particular statistic true?

SimondBSep. 12, 2012 - 08:07AM JST

Good on you Obama. Netanyahu is a war mongerer who wants the US to enter into further conflict in the ME on Israel's behalf

@SimondB, well said. I have been watching this guy over 30 years. He wants US to start War. Obama is not a fool. For those who are advocating US to go to war, I will keep all these people's name and forward them to the US Defence Dept. I have done my share in Korean War and Vietnam War. Now it may be your turn to go to war. Good luck.

How many Israeli troops have been helping the US in Iraq or Afghanistan? None that I've heard of. How many nuclear weapons does Israel have? Probably a lot more than one. Good ole' American "jobs" nucs, tanks, jets and mines. Netanyahu wants America's help for war...are you sure he isn't going to get a good cut from the American military machine? He can do it himself. They can flatten Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan with the weapons they've got without us getting into a war. What is he talking about. People blame Obama. All the variables aren't the same even as two years ago. Add in earthquakes, hurricanes, drought, wildfires, etc. War was a waste. Look at Afghanistan. GET OUT and let them be. Sorry some good people will be lost but we CAN not their mentality. Shit, we can't even change the Democrats and Republicans brain mentality. No war!

Oops! made a mistake it should read "we can NOT change their mentality".

to bass2funk

I wish you would feel that way about how our President is spending money. In comparison $400 billion is almost chump change.

But, former-NY Mayor Rudy Giuliani supports Israel. That's fine for him. but talking about govt spending...he cried "Oh, the embassies don't have enough protection"! How many embassies are we talking about? Where does the money come for them? Cornflakes boxes!