Is It Now OK To Chant 'Death To America'?

Washington Times: Obama downplays Iran ‘death to America’ remarks, toes hard line on Benjamin Netanyahu

The Obama administration toed a hard line Monday against Benjamin Netanyahu for his comments about Israeli Arabs and Palestinian statehood leading up to Israel’s election last week, but downplayed concerns over “death to America” remarks Iran’s supreme leader made over the weekend.

The White House also seemed to warmly welcome input from 367 House members reiterating Congress‘ role in reaching a final nuclear agreement with Tehran, despite its vigorous attacks on an earlier letter to the Iranian leadership from 47 GOP senators explaining that any deal Iran may strike with the U.S. needs to be submitted to Congress to be binding.

WNU Editor: I just do not know what to say.

Israel Spied On The U.S. - Iran Nuclear Talks

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, and President Barack Obama shown during a meeting at the White House in October. The leaders disagree over the negotiations with Iran. Photo: Reuters

Wall Street Journal: Israel Spied on Iran Talks

Ally’s snooping upset White House because information was used to lobby Congress to try to sink a deal

Soon after the U.S. and other major powers entered negotiations last year to curtail Iran’s nuclear program, senior White House officials learned Israel was spying on the closed-door talks.

The spying operation was part of a broader campaign by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to penetrate the negotiations and then help build a case against the emerging terms of the deal, current and former U.S. officials said. In addition to eavesdropping, Israel acquired information from confidential U.S. briefings, informants and diplomatic contacts in Europe, the officials said.

The espionage didn’t upset the White House as much as Israel’s sharing of inside information with U.S. lawmakers and others to drain support from a high-stakes deal intended to limit Iran’s nuclear program, current and former officials said.

Update #1: Report: Israel spied on Iran nuke negotiations -- USA Today
Update #2: Report: Israel spied on US nuclear talks with Iran -- Jerusalem Post

WNU Editor: You have to wonder what information did the Israelis find that is making the Obama administration upset .... what is it that the White House is hiding and does not want Congress/the U.S. public to know about?

Is The White House Interfering In Israel's Election?

FOX News: Source: Senate panel probing ‎possible Obama administration ties to anti-Netanyahu effort

A powerful U.S. Senate investigatory committee has launched a bipartisan probe into an American nonprofit’s funding of efforts to oust Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the Obama administration’s State Department gave the nonprofit taxpayer-funded grants, a source with knowledge of the panel's activities told FoxNews.com.

The fact that both Democratic and Republican sides of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations have signed off on the probe could be seen as a rebuke to President Obama, who has had a well-documented adversarial relationship with the Israeli leader.

Update #1: Israeli Parties Hire U.S. Consultants for Election Win -- WSJ
Update #2: Israel elections: Benjamin Netanyahu claims foreign money is being used to help left-wing Zionist Union beat him -- The Independent

WNU Editor: This US Senate investigation is too late to make a difference.

Reaction To Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Speech To The U.S. Congress

NBC: Obama: 'Nothing New' in Netanyahu Speech

President Barack Obama said Tuesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered "nothing new" in his much-anticipated speech to Congress, suggesting that the Israeli leader failed to articulate an alternative strategy to halt Iran's attempts to make a nuclear bomb.

"On the core issue, which is how do we prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon which would make it far more dangerous ... the prime minister didn't offer any viable alternatives," he told reporters during an appearance with new Defense Secretary Ashton Carter.

Reaction To Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Speech To The U.S. Congress

Benjamin Netanyahu didn't offer 'viable alternatives' during Iran speech: Obama -- CBC/AP
Barack Obama: 'nothing new' in Benjamin Netanyahu's Iran speech -- The Telegraph
Obama: 'Nothing New' in Netanyahu Speech -- NBC
Netanyahu offered no ‘viable alternative’ to Iran nuclear deal - Obama -- RT
Netanyahu Congress Speech Reaction Ranges From Applause To 'Political Theater Worthy Of An Oscar' -- IBTimes
Praise, Criticism For Netanyahu's Speech -- NPR
Reaction to Netanyahu Speech Divides Along Partisan Lines -- Alex Rogers, Time
Netanyahu offers 'no concrete action plan' on Iran: senior U.S. official -- Reuters
Pelosi, Democrats Furious Over Netanyahu 'Condescension' -- NYT/AP
Pelosi: 'I Was Near Tears Throughout the Prime Minister’s Speech' -- Weekly Standard
Netanyahu Speech International Reaction: What Israeli, Arab, European Media Are Saying About The Controversial Address -- IBTimes
Israel, Iran react to Netanyahu speech -- CNN
Netanyahu's speech to US Congress gets mixed reception in Israel -- Reuters
How Israel reacted to Netanyahu’s speech to Congress -- Washington Post

Israel 's Netanyahu Warns The U.S. Congress On The Danger Of A Nuclear Deal With Iran

Daily Mail: 'A farewell to arms control': Netanyahu warns Congress Iran deal will make Middle East a 'nuclear tinderbox' and feed its 'tentacles of terror'

* 'The greatest threat against the world is the marriage of militant Islam with nuclear weapons,' he warned
* It 'could happen if the deal that is being negotiated is accepted by Iran'
* Netanyahu interrupted by applause 41 times, but no member of the Obama administration attended the event
* John Kerry, the US secretary of state, is negotiating that deal in Switzerland
* 'Iran has proven time and time again that it cannot be trusted,' Netanyahu insisted
* Susan Rice admitted Monday that 'some' Israel backers won't get behind an agreement with Iran that doesn't require it to cease its enrichment program
* 'As desirable as that would be, it is neither realistic nor achievable,' she said

More News On Israeli PM Netanyahu's Speech To The U.S. Congress

Complete text of Netanyahu's address to Congress -- YNet News
Israel's Netanyahu warns U.S. against Iran nuclear deal -- Reuters
Netanyahu assails Iran-nuclear talks in Congress address -- AP
Netanyahu warns US Congress of Iran’s ‘march of terror’ -- France 24
Netanyahu, in Speech to Congress, Criticizes 'Bad Deal' With Iran -- NYT
Israel’s Netanyahu Urges Congress to Block ‘Bad Deal’ With Iran -- WSJ
Israel's Netanyahu warns US against 'paving way to Iran bomb' -- BBC
'It's a very bad deal': Benjamin Netanyahu rips possible U.S. nuclear deal with Iran during speech to Congress -- New York Daily News
Netanyahu: Iran Engaged in Deadly 'Game of Thrones' -- ABC News
Netanyahu: Nuclear Deal ‘Paves Iran’s Path To The Bomb’ -- CBS
Netanyahu Tells Congress Iran Deal ‘Paves Path To A Bomb’ -- Time
Netanyahu warns Congress: Deal will lead to Iranian nuclear bomb -- CNN
Netanyahu: Stop Iran's 'march of conquest' -- USA Today
Israeli PM: Iran Nuclear Talks Are 'Very Bad Deal' -- VOA
Netanyahu to Congress: 'We Are Better Off' Without the Emerging U.S. Deal With Iran -- National Journal
Netanyahu warns Obama nuclear deal would pave Iran’s ‘path to bomb’ -- Al Jazeera

White House Warns Israeli PM Netanyahu To Not Disclose Any Secrets On The Iran Nuclear Talks

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) policy conference in Washington, March 2, 2015. Credit: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

CNN: White House warns Netanyahu not to reveal Iran details

Washington (CNN)The Obama administration is bracing for Benjamin Netanyahu to spill secret details of Iran nuclear talks, as both camps traded last-minute political jabs ahead of the Israeli prime minister's controversial address to Congress at 11 a.m. EST on Tuesday.

The White House is uncertain what precise details may come out but aides spent Monday frantically mobilizing after Israeli officials said that the prime minister planned to disclose sensitive details of an agreement taking shape in talks between six world powers and Iran, which has entered a delicate final stage.

Update: Israel's Netanyahu to address Congress on Iran, faces partial boycott -- Reuters

WNU Editor: Or else?

LIVE: Israeli Prime Minister To Deliver Speech At A Joint Session Of The US Congress

Israeli Paper: President Obama Threatened To Shoot Down Israeli Jets If They Attack Iran

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu listens as U.S. President Barack Obama (R) speaks, during their meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington October 1, 2014. Credit: Reuters/Kevin Lamarque

Arutz Sheva: Report: Obama Threatened to Shoot Down IAF Iran Strike

Kuwaiti paper claims unnamed Israeli minister with good ties with the US administration 'revealed the attack plan to John Kerry.'

The Bethlehem-based news agency Ma’an has cited a Kuwaiti newspaper report Saturday, that US President Barack Obama thwarted an Israeli military attack against Iran's nuclear facilities in 2014 by threatening to shoot down Israeli jets before they could reach their targets in Iran.

Following Obama's threat, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was reportedly forced to abort the planned Iran attack.

Update #1: Administration denies Obama threatened to shoot down Israeli warplanes -- Washington Times
Update #2: Did Obama threaten to shoot down Israeli jets attacking Iran? -- Ya Liban

Update: To put it mildly .... these are explosive allegations that will further impact U.S. - Israeli relations .... as well as our relationships with the Sunni dominated governments in the region. Putting Israel aside .... if this report is even 50% true .... America's Sunni Arab allies are going to wonder wonder on where does President Obama's loyalties stand .... is it to Israel, to America's Sunni allies, or is it to Iran? After-all .... if President Obama is willing to shoot down Israeli jets .... there should be no doubt in anyone's mind that he will also shoot down a Saudi/Egyptian/etc. plane.

White House Officials: Netanyahu ‘Spat In Our Face’

Times of Israel: Netanyahu ‘spat in our face,’ White House officials said to say

PM ‘will pay price’ for spat over Congress address; Obama said to have asked him to tone down pro-sanctions rhetoric; Wash. Post: Kerry’s enthusiasm for defending Israel may wane

Previous Post: Israeli Anger Over White House 'Mossad' Leak Continues

WNU Editor: Lousy relations with Israel. The Iraqi PM complaining that the U.S. is not doing enough to battle the Islamic State. Yemen's President and close ally to the U.S. has just gotten turfed out. U.S. - Egypt relations frosty at best. Turkey doing everything to obstruct U.S. efforts in the Middle East. And now .... with the death of the Saudi King .... talk of "worst-case scenarios" are being bandied about.

Is The White House Reponsible For Leaking Mossad Report That New US Congressional Sanctions On Iran Will End Nuclear Talks

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu (L) and US President Barack Obama meet in the White House. (photo credit:REUTERS)

Jerusalem Post: Israel source says leaked report of Netanyahu-Mossad rift on Iran sanctions is 'Obama's revenge'

WNU Editor: When the U.S. Congress invited Israeli PM Netanyahu to address Congress on Iran and radical Islam .... US House Invites Netanyahu to Address Congress on Radicalism and Iran (Sputnik) .... the White House made it very clear that they were not happy with this move .... Obama blindsided by invite to Israeli PM as Iran row with Congress intensifies (Sydney Morning Herald). And even though the White House is now saying that everything is OK .... After chilly White House response, Kerry says Netanyahu welcome to speak in US 'any time' (Jerusalem Post) .... you have to wonder if this rift is far deeper than what they are saying and it would be enough to leak a foreign country's intelligence reports.

Update : It should be noted that Israel's opposition parties are also not happy with this invite. They are in the middle of an election campaign, and they are probably not happy that Netanyahu is going to be receiving this free attention .... Israeli Opposition Slams U.S. Congress Plan for Netanyahu Speech (Bloomberg).

Update #2: Breaking: Full statement from Mossad head on Iran

U.S. Congress Invites Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu To Speak To Congress On Iran. White House Was Not Notified

BBC: John Boehner invites Netanyahu to Congress on Iran

WNU Editor: Israeli PM Netanyahu has accepted this invitation to address the U.S. Congress .... Netanyahu accepts invitation to address U.S. Congress: Israeli official (Reuters). Not surprising .... the White House is not happy with this invite .... White House criticizes Netanyahu's planned trip to U.S., calling it 'departure from protocol' (Haaretz). The US Congress and the White House are definitely not on the same page when it comes to Iranian sanctions .... with Congressional opposition coming from both parties. As to what is my take .... these discussions have been ongoing for years .... in fact .... when I stated this blog 7 years ago is when the groundwork for these discussions was being laid. Seven years .... what can I say but no one has any patience anymore .... no one that is with the exception of the U.S. President.

More News On The U.S. Congress Inviting Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu To Speak To Congress On Iran

Boehner Invites Israeli Leader to Address Congress on Iran -- AP
White House cool on Netanyahu Congress speech -- AFP
Netanyahu coming to Congress next month -- CNN
Boehner invites Netanyahu to address Congress on Iran, after Obama veto threat -- FOX News
Boehner invites Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress -- CBS
Boehner invites Netanyahu to talk to Congress about Iran -- USA Today

U.S. Releases Hold Of Hellfire Missile Shipment To Israel

Hellfire missiles (photo credit: CC BY Wikipedia)

Hold Up Of US Missile Shipment To Israel Reportedly Resolved -- Times of Israel

TV report quotes Israeli official saying blocked transfer of Hellfires was ‘just bureaucratic’, but no word on when delivery expected

A hold up in the US supply of Hellfire missiles to Israel has been resolved and the incident “is behind us,” Israel’s Channel 10 news quoted a senior Israeli official as saying on Thursday night. The official said Israel had been assured that the suspension of the sale “was just bureaucracy.”

The unconfirmed report did not specify when the weapons would be delivered.

The news came a day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed American support for Israel during the ongoing war against Hamas, noting that he spoke almost daily with Secretary of State John Kerry, and had held four calls with President Barack Obama since the conflict erupted 45 days ago.

A senior Israeli official last Thursday had confirmed to Israeli media that the US suspended a planned shipment of Hellfire precision missiles.

Read more ....

My Comment: This report is still unconfirmed .... but I suspect that many in the U.S. Congress and in the U.S. Senate were quick to put pressure on the White House to release this shipment .... especially in this tight election year.

A Photo Gallery Through The Years Of The Dome The Survived The Hiroshima Bombing 69 Years Ago (Photo Gallery)

The remains of the Prefectural Industry Promotion Building, later preserved as a monument - known as the Genbaku Dome - at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial. UN Photo

69 Years After Hiroshima, A Look At The Dome That Survived -- Washington Post

Sixty-nine years ago today, United States airmen dropped a nuclear bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. At 8:15 a.m., the first bomb exploded over Hiroshima, killing 140,000 people. The Genbaku Dome was the only building left standing near the hypocenter of the bomb’s blast. Designed by Czech architect Jan Letzel, it was completed in 1915 and housed the Hiroshima Commercial Exhibition Hall.

Every year, thousands gather at the iconic dome, now the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, to commemorate the day that forever changed the world. Here’s a look at the dome throughout the years as the city of Hiroshima is resurrected around it.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Here are a few links on Hiroshima that I have posted over the years.

* Photographing Hiroshima On August 6, 1945 (From The Ground)
* Hiroshima After The Atomic Bomb -- 360Cities – Panoramic Photography Blog
* An American Witness To The Hiroshima Bombing Who Was Not Suppose To Be There
* Hiroshima 1945 And Hiroshima 2010

Why The Kerry - Israel 'Meltdown'

Inside The Kerry-Israel Meltdown -- Josh Rogin & Eli lake, Daily Beast

The Secretary of State has been furiously working on a Mideast ceasefire, but his ad hoc efforts were dealt another blow Monday when Israel rejected his latest peacemaking plan.

On Monday, Secretary of State Kerry took to the podium at the State Department to say that he was working with Israel and Hamas to negotiate an extension of their temporary ceasefire.

“Today, we are continuing to work toward establishing an unconditional humanitarian ceasefire, one that…will stop the fighting, allow desperately needed food and medicine and other supplies into Gaza, and enable Israel to address…the threat posed by tunnel attacks—and to be able to do so without having to resort to combat,” Kerry said.

An hour later, the Israeli military sent a text message to all Palestinians to stay in their homes and resumed strikes inside Gaza.

Read more ....

Previous Post: White House Warns Israel That they Have 'Crossed The Line' In Their Criticism of John Kerry

My Comment: The problem is trust .... no one trusts each other anymore. In fact .... it has gotten to be this bad .... Israeli Official To Obama: ‘Leave Us Alone’ -- CBS/AP

US And Israel Deny Reports Of A Harsh Obama-Netanyahu Conversation

White House, Israeli Prime Minister's Office Deny Reports of Tense Exchange Over Ceasefire -- Breitbart

On Tuesday, Israeli media reported the text of an alleged phone conversation on July 27th between President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The text was said to have come from a “senior US official”. Obama National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes said on Twitter that the excerpt of the 35-minute phone call was a “totally false” report.

Israel’s Prime Minister’s office also denied reports, saying that the Israeli media misrepresented the conversation.

The US President allegedly made several demands upon Israel, and it was reported he had spoken in a “rude and hostile” manner.

Read more ....

My Comment: There are a lot denials from both sides that this conversation happened .... but these denials are using exactly the same wording and language which tells me that there is a possibility that this conversation actually did happen. Sighhh .... I am becoming cynical in my old age.