Politics

WH, NSC denies Obama told Netanyahu to unilaterally cease action in Gaza

obama-netanyahuAccording to Israel’s Channel 1, Barack Obama ordered Benjamin Netanyahu to unilaterally cease all military action in Gaza.  The administration, however, denies the conversation ever took place.

Transcript of the conversation translated from Hebrew as provided by the Times of Israel, is provided below:

Barack Obama: I demand that Israel agrees to an immediate, unilateral ceasefire and halt all offensive activities, in particular airstrikes.

Will this presidential election be the most important in American history?

Benjamin Netanyahu: And what will Israel receive in exchange for a ceasefire?

BO: I believe that Hamas will cease its rocket fire — silence will be met with silence.

BN: Hamas broke all five previous ceasefires. It’s a terrorist organization dedicated to the destruction of Israel.

BO: I repeat and expect Israel to stop all its military activities unilaterally. The pictures of destruction in Gaza distance the world from Israel’s position.

BN: Kerry’s proposal was completely unrealistic and gives Hamas military and diplomatic advantages.

BO: Within a week of the end of Israel’s military activities, Qatar and Turkey will begin negotiations with Hamas based on the 2012 understandings, including Israel’s commitment to removing the siege and restrictions on Gaza.

BN: Qatar and Turkey are the biggest supporters of Hamas. It’s impossible to rely on them to be fair mediators.

BO: I trust Qatar and Turkey. Israel is not in the position that it can choose its mediators.

BN: I protest because Hamas can continue to launch rockets and use tunnels for terror attacks –

BO: (interrupting Netanyahu) The ball’s in Israel’s court, and it must end all its military activities.

Shortly after the Times published that transcript, the White House said that if the conversation was leaked it would constitute a “severe violation of a private discussion,” according to BBC reporter Paul Danahar:

The White House, however, told The Daily Beast’s Eli Lake that the transcript is fake.

The White House’s Ben Rhodes said the same thing:

The NSC also weighed in:

A number of people aren’t buying it, though:

https://twitter.com/cameronerickson/status/494203831853789184

Exactly.

https://twitter.com/TFinn82/status/494233190048202753

Who do you believe?  Let us know in the comments below.

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Joe Newby

A 10-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, Joe ran for a city council position in Riverside, Calif., in 1991 and managed successful campaigns for the Idaho state legislature. Co-author of "Banned: How Facebook enables militant Islamic jihad," Joe wrote for Examiner.com from 2010 until it closed in 2016 and his work has been published at Newsbusters, Spokane Faith and Values and other sites. He now runs the Conservative Firing Line.

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