Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

 
BY ORKIDE IZCI
 
ANCHOR JIM FLINK

It’s not often you get to hear what world leaders REALLY think of each other.

But French President Nicolas Sarkozy was reportedly overheard calling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “liar.”

Sarkozy was talking to U.S. President Barack Obama. Reporting from Jerusalem, Fox News’ Leland Vittert says -- talk about a diplomatic gaffe.

“Obviously, that is not what they wanted to have broadcast to the world. It's been a legendary icy relationship between president Obama and prime minister Netanyahu, but that icy relationship after these comments, you might say could go to the temperature of dry ice right now. And this is a horrible, horrible time for a situation like this to happen as Israel has continued to get more and more isolated around the world.”


So what was actually said? Relayed first by Israeli journalist Dan Israel on Arret Sur Images, the leaders weren’t so shy about their opinions.


‘I can not trust him, he is a liar,’ said Sarkozy. ‘You're tired of it, but I have to deal with it every day!’ Replied Obama, who then asked Sarkozy to try to convince the Palestinians to ease up on their membership application at the UN.”

How’d the inter-governmental gossip become the whispers heard ‘round the world? Politico’s Ben Smith explains how the eavesdropping happened -- but also notes -- until that French website published the comments -- journalists had agreed not to report them.

“...the reporters had been given boxes that they would use to listen to Sarkozy’s comments and the translation of Obama's at a joint press conference. They hadn’t yet been given headsets; but some plugged in their own headsets, and found they could pick up the leaders’ private, interpreted conversation.”

With the cat out of the bag, the journalists took to the presses -- with some very notable exceptions. Namely, French journalists. The Telegraph reports, not a single French outlet reported on the quotes, something the British paper finds unacceptable.

“How would a French journo justify such blatant self-censorship? Well, they might say the exchange was off the record... But something tells me this was less about principles and more about fear of upsetting the French president. After all, he has been accused of string-pulling in the media before.”

Actually - we checked and France 24 in French did cover the story.

As for the fallout on the U.S. side -- CNN reports the White House is keeping pretty mum. Then again, says Dan Lothian...

LOTHIAN: “...we don't know that perhaps the president did not say something much stronger later on in that conversation. Again, we're just seeing a small slice in the terms of the quote that the president supposedly made.” (FLASH)
MALVEAUX: “And it's a very good point. We don't have the full context or even the full conversation. It really is just a snippet from what we've been able to glean.”






 

Politics News: Sarkozy Calls Netanyahu a Liar

Sarkozy to Obama: Netanyahu a Liar

November 8, 2011
Nicholas Sarkozy calls Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a liar in a conversation he didn't realize journalists were listening to.
   
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