The walls may not have ears, but the microphones do. In an exchange that took place during last week's G-20 summit in Cannes, French President Nicholas Sarkozy was overheard calling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a liar, and U.S. President Barack Obama echoed similar sentiments. The two were speaking privately, but their microphones were inadvertently left on, making a gathering of journalists in the next room privy to every word. The embarrassing conversation was not initially reported by the small group of journalists who overheard it, as it was considered to be private and off the record. But the comments have since emerged on French websites and were confirmed by Reuters. Reuters reports that according to the French interpreter, Sarkozy was heard as saying to Obama, "I cannot bear Netanyahu, he's a liar," to which the U.S. president responded, "You're fed up with him, but I have to deal with him even more often than you." U.S. Sen. John McCain responded to the incident while on the U.S. television show Fox & Friends, saying "I happen to be a great admirer of Prime Minister Netanyahu. Ive known him for years, and Israel is under more pressure and probably in more danger than theyve been since the 67 war and that kind of comment is not only not helpful, but indicative of some of the policies toward Israel that this administration has been part of. Chairman of the Republican National Committee, Reince Priebus, also commented on the leaked exchange between the two world leaders, saying in a statement released Tuesday, "After hearing President Obama's insensitive comments about Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu last week, Americans are wondering: When will Obama start treating Israel like a strategic ally instead of a personal nuisance-" Priebus continued, "Its shocking that the president of the United States would speak of the leader of Americas most important Middle Eastern ally in such a reckless way. America needs a president that will be a true friend to Israel, and my number one goal is to elect a Republican president in 2012 that will ... Over the last three years, our economy has fallen victim to the presidents non-stop campaigning. We cannot allow our international alliances to be destroyed as well. The president owes Prime Minister Netanyahu a public apology for his careless action. Representatives of France's Jewish organizations have since turned their attention to Sarkozy. They are demanding an apology, insisting that the incident served as an insult to the Jewish people. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney has declined to comment on the conversation. Similarly, the Prime Minister's office offered no formal response to the incident. A source within the PMO however, did respond to the leaked conversation. "It would be easy for the prime minister to forgo interests essential to the state of Israel in order to win acclaim from the international community. I am sure that the prime minister will continue to insist on the security requirements necessary for the security of Israel's residents, even if that means taking some criticism," the source said. In addition to discussing Netanyahu, Obama and Sarkozy also delved into the Palestinian issue during their Nov. 3rd meeting at the summit. The U.S. president was quoted as telling his French counterpart that he was concerned about the impact of the U.S. stopping the transfer of funds to U.N. organizations, such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, that admit "Palestine" as a member.
The whisper heard 'round the world
Reporters at G-20 summit overhear a private conversation between Obama, Sarkozy about the Israeli prime minister • Sarkozy: I cannot bear Netanyahu, he's a liar • Obama: You are fed up with him, but I have to deal with him even more often than you.
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