There were no camera permitted for Barack Obama’s meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu last night. There were no reporters, no questions. All there was was this Statement:
“The President and Prime Minister Netanyahu discussed a number of issues in the U.S.-Israel bilateral relationship. The President reaffirmed our strong commitment to Israel’s security, and discussed security cooperation on a range of issues. The President and Prime Minister also discussed Iran and how to move forward on Middle East peace.”
This is extraordinary. I can’t remember a presidential bilateral meeting without a photo in recent memory. And the chilly tone of the official readout…I’d guess that this is an indication that the President’s Middle East Peace Initiative isn’t going so well.