On Friday, all three network morning shows touted President Obama's petulant "congratulatory" phone call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in which the commander-in-chief issued diplomatic threats to the newly reelected Jewish leader and America's closest ally.
Leading off a full report on NBC's Today, correspondent Katy Tur blamed Obama's pettiness on Netanyahu: "This call was billed as a congratulations, but after Benjamin Netanyahu's provocative address to Congress and his statements opposing a Palestinian state, the phone call was anything but a friendly pat on back, as the President gave the Israeli leader a stern message....and warning the U.S. is reassessing aspects of its relationship with Israel."
In a news brief on ABC's Good Morning America, anchor Amy Robach declared: "Well, tough talk from the White House this morning aimed at Israel....the U.S. will now, quote, 'reassess' its relationship with Israel in the wake of Netanyahu's pre-election rhetoric opposing a Palestinian state."
Introducing a full report on CBS This Morning, co-host Charlie Rose observed: "...the rift between the Obama administration and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears to be hardening," noting that "in a congratulatory call President Obama made his skepticism clear" of Netanyahu's support for a peace process. Rose added that the White House "is unmoved by the Prime Minister's backtracking."
White House correspondent Major Garrett promoted the President's animosity: "President Obama told Netanyahu he wasn't buying the Prime Minister's retraction and he would still look for new ways to achieve a two-state solution with the Palestinians. Top officials here said it will be Netanyahu's actions not his words that will signal if he's serious about peace."
On Today, Tur kept laying all the blame for the contentious relationship between the world leaders on Netanyahu:
It has been a straining few months for Netanyahu and Obama. In the run-up to the election, the Israeli leader circumvented the White House and spoke directly to Congress, denouncing the President's nuclear negotiations with Iran, saying it would pave the country's path to the bomb, and inevitably, a nuclear war.
On This Morning, Garrett relied almost entirely on administration talking points:
GARRETT: Top White House advisers say Netanyahu played politics with the peace process. The administration is now considering allowing the United Nations Security Council to vote to recognize a Palestinian state.
JOSH EARNEST: Words matter, and that is certainly true in this instance. It does prompt the administration and policy makers here to re-evaluate our thinking.
GARRETT: The White House also faulted Netanyahu's election day complaint, designed to drive up right-wing Jewish turnout, that droves of Israeli Arabs were being bused to the polls.
EARNEST: That cynical election day tactic was a pretty transparent effort to marginalize Arab-Israeli citizens and their right to participate in their democracy.
However, CBS was the only network to actually (briefly) mention Republican criticism of Obama alienating the Israeli leader:
GARRETT: Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio, a likely presidential candidate, criticized the White House for picking fights against Netanyahu.
MARCO RUBIO: This is outrageous! It is irresponsible. It is dangerous! And it betrays the commitment this nation has made to the right of a Jewish nation to exist in peace.
Here are transcripts of the March 20 Today and This Morning segments:
Today
7:08 AM ETWILLIE GEIST: Tamron's now here with a closely watched phone call by the President.
TAMRON HALL: Indeed it was. Good morning, everyone. President Obama called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Thursday to congratulate him on Tuesday's election, but the President also told Netanyahu that the U.S. is re-assessing its approach to Israeli-Palestinian peace. NBC's Katy Tur is in London with the very latest. Katy, good morning.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: President Obama Calls Netanyahu; U.S. "Reassessing" Relationship With Israel]
KATY TUR: Good morning, Tamron. This call was billed as a congratulations, but after Benjamin Netanyahu's provocative address to Congress and his statements opposing a Palestinian state, the phone call was anything but a friendly pat on back, as the President gave the Israeli leader a stern message – that America is keeping its long-standing commitment to a two-state solution and warning the U.S. is reassessing aspects of its relationship with Israel.
It was a decisive victory for Benjamin Netanyahu, and overnight President Obama – who has been, to put it mildly, at odds with the Israeli prime minister – called to congratulate him and emphasized the importance of U.S.-Israeli relations. This, after Netanyahu back-tracked on one of his most decisive campaign promises, that there would be no Palestinian state, telling NBC's Andrea Mitchell –
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: I haven't changed my policy. I don't want a one-state solution. I want a sustainable, peaceful two-state solution, but for that, circumstances have to change.
ANDREA MITCHELL: But you were reelected on a mandate, certainly Israeli voters, your supporters, believe you were reelected on a mandate against a two-state solution. That is the way the White House is interpreting. They're strongly considering not blocking a vote for statehood for Palestinians.
NETANYAHU: Well, first of all, that state would become a terrorist state. So we need the conditions of recognition of the Jewish state and real security in order to have a realistic two-state solution.
TUR: As for charges that he was a bigot –
NETANYAHU: First of all, I'm very proud to be the prime minister of all of Israel's citizens, Arabs and Jews alike.
MITCHELL: That's not the way it sounded on election day.
NETANYAHU: Well, I wasn't trying to suppress the vote. I was calling on our voters to come out.
TUR: It has been a straining few months for Netanyahu and Obama. In the run-up to the election, the Israeli leader circumvented the White House and spoke directly to Congress, denouncing the President's nuclear negotiations with Iran, saying it would pave the country's path to the bomb, and inevitably, a nuclear war. But as for the future relationship of two of the world's most influential men –
NETANYAHU: We'll work together. We have to.
TUR: As for the nuclear negotiations, in Switzerland this morning, Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that Iran will stay in the nuclear talks as long as necessary and that a deal is possible at anytime. Tamron.
HALL: Alright, Katy, thank you very much.
CBS This Morning
7:09 AM ET
CHARLIE ROSE: This morning, the rift between the Obama administration and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears to be hardening. On Thursday, Netanyahu tried to walk back his campaign vow to oppose a Palestinian state. But in a congratulatory call President Obama made his skepticism clear. Major Garrett is at the White House, which is unmoved by the Prime Minister's backtracking. Major, good morning.
CBS GRAPHIC: Bibi Backtracks: Obama Skeptical of Israreli PM's Stand on Statehood
MAJOR GARRETT: Good morning. President Obama told Netanyahu he wasn't buying the Prime Minister's retraction and he would still look for new ways to achieve a two-state solution with the Palestinians. Top officials here said it will be Netanyahu's actions not his words that will signal if he's serious about peace. In an interview Thursday, the Israeli Prime Minister said he did not retract a 2009 commitment to pursue a negotiated creation of a separate Palestinian state even though he said precisely that during the heat of his reelection campaign.
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: I haven't changed my policy. I never retracted my speech in Bar-llan University six years ago calling for a demilitarized Palestinian state that recognizes the Jewish state. I don't want a one-state solution. I want a sustainable two-state peaceful solution, but for that to happen, circumstances have to change.
GARRETT: Top White House advisers say Netanyahu played politics with the peace process. The administration is now considering allowing the United Nations Security Council to vote to recognize a Palestinian state.
JOSH EARNEST: Words matter, and that is certainly true in this instance. It does prompt the administration and policy makers here to re-evaluate our thinking.
GARRETT: The White House also faulted Netanyahu's election day complaint, designed to drive up right-wing Jewish turnout, that droves of Israeli Arabs were being bused to the polls.
EARNEST: That cynical election day tactic was a pretty transparent effort to marginalize Arab-Israeli citizens and their right to participate in their democracy.
GARRETT: Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio, a likely presidential candidate, criticized the White House for picking fights against Netanyahu.
MARCO RUBIO: This is outrageous! It is irresponsible. It is dangerous! And it betrays the commitment this nation has made to the right of a Jewish nation to exist in peace.
GARRETT: The White House will watch carefully as Netanyahu builds his new coalition government to see if it will contains any elements of Israeli politics open to a two-state coalition. Top officials here tell us they expect Netanyahu's coalition partners will hold him to his campaign rhetoric rather than embrace his post election efforts to retract it. Gayle?
GAYLE KING: Thank you, Major Garrett.
