Obama Defends Not Meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu: ‘I Talk to Him All the Time’

“With respect to Prime ░░░░░░░░ Netanyahu as I ve ░░░░░░░░ before I talk to ░░░░░░░░ all the time our ░░░░░░░░ constantly coordinate We have ░░░░░░░░ practice of not meeting ░░░░░░░░ leaders right before their ░░░░░░░░ two weeks before their ░░░░░░░░ As much as I ░░░░░░░░ Angela if she was ░░░░░░░░ weeks away from an ░░░░░░░░ she probably would not ░░░░░░░░ received an invitation to ░░░░░░░░ White House laughter and ░░░░░░░░ suspect she wouldn t ░░░░░░░░ asked for one Laughter ░░░░░░░░ this is just some ░░░░░░░░ this just has to ░░░░░░░░ with how we do ░░░░░░░░ And I think it ░░░░░░░░ important for us to ░░░░░░░░ these protocols because the ░░░░░░░░ S Israeli relationship is ░░░░░░░░ about a particular party ░░░░░░░░ isn t a relationship ░░░░░░░░ on affinity between the ░░░░░░░░ Party and the Democratic ░░░░░░░░ or Likud and the ░░░░░░░░ Party This is the ░░░░░░░░ S Israeli relationship that ░░░░░░░░ beyond parties and has ░░░░░░░░ do with that unbreakable ░░░░░░░░ that we feel and ░░░░░░░░ commitment to Israel s ░░░░░░░░ and the shared values ░░░░░░░░ we have And the ░░░░░░░░ to preserve that is ░░░░░░░░ make sure that it ░░░░░░░░ t get clouded with ░░░░░░░░ could be perceived as ░░░░░░░░ politics Whether that s ░░░░░░░░ or not that is ░░░░░░░░ potential perception and that ░░░░░░░░ something that we have ░░░░░░░░ guard against Now I ░░░░░░░░ t want to be ░░░░░░░░ The Prime Minister and ░░░░░░░░ have a very real ░░░░░░░░ around Iran Iran sanctions ░░░░░░░░ have been very clear ░░░░░░░░ Angela agrees with me ░░░░░░░░ David Cameron agrees with ░░░░░░░░ and the others who ░░░░░░░░ a member of the ░░░░░░░░ agree that it does ░░░░░░░░ make sense to sour ░░░░░░░░ negotiations a month or ░░░░░░░░ before they re about ░░░░░░░░ be completed And we ░░░░░░░░ play that out If ░░░░░░░░ fact we can get ░░░░░░░░ deal then we should ░░░░░░░░ that If we can ░░░░░░░░ get a deal then ░░░░░░░░ ll have to make ░░░░░░░░ set of decisions and ░░░░░░░░ I ve said to ░░░░░░░░ I ll be the ░░░░░░░░ one to work with ░░░░░░░░ to apply even stronger ░░░░░░░░ against Iran But what ░░░░░░░░ the rush unless your ░░░░░░░░ is that it s ░░░░░░░░ possible to get a ░░░░░░░░ with Iran and it ░░░░░░░░ t even be tested ░░░░░░░░ that I cannot agree ░░░░░░░░ because as the President ░░░░░░░░ the United States I ░░░░░░░░ looking at what the ░░░░░░░░ are if we don ░░░░░░░░ get a diplomatic resolution ░░░░░░░░ those options are narrow ░░░░░░░░ they re not attractive ░░░░░░░░ from the perspective of ░░░░░░░░ S interests and I ░░░░░░░░ from the perspective of ░░░░░░░░ s interests although I ░░░░░░░░ t speak for obviously ░░░░░░░░ Israeli government it is ░░░░░░░░ better if we can ░░░░░░░░ a diplomatic solution So ░░░░░░░░ are real differences substantively ░░░░░░░░ that s separate and ░░░░░░░░ from the whole issue ░░░░░░░░ Mr Netanyahu coming to ░░░░░░░░