Nicolas Sarkozy calls Israeli PM a 'liar'

[sputnik]

BBC News - Sarkozy called Israeli PM Netanyahu 'liar'

[Mel1973]

well... if he's a liar, he's a liar.

[sputnik]

sorry, couldn't post the entire article from my iphone earlier. here it is.

8 November 2011 Last updated at 11:03 GMT

Sarkozy called Israeli PM Netanyahu 'liar'

The comments - embarrassing for President Sarkozy - have only just emerged


French President Nicolas Sarkozy called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a "liar" in remarks to US President Barack Obama overheard by journalists.
"I can't stand him any more, he's a liar," Mr Sarkozy said in French.
"You may be sick of him, but me, I have to deal with him every day," Mr Obama replied.
The exchange at the G20 summit was quoted by a French website, Arret sur Images, and confirmed by other media.
The remarks - during a private conversation - were overheard by a few journalists last week but were not initially reported, the BBC's Christian Fraser in Paris says.
Journalists at the bilateral press conference had been handed translation boxes but had been told not to plug in their headphones until the backroom conversation had finished. But those who did heard the revealing comments.
For several days there was media silence in France about the exchange - a decision had been taken not to embarrass the French president, our correspondent says.

A correspondent for Le Monde newspaper referred to the conversation without the quotes.
But Israeli newspapers have reported it in full.
It is said Mr Obama was taking Mr Sarkozy to task for voting in favour of the Palestinian bid for full membership of the UN cultural organisation, Unesco, a bid that was approved despite American opposition.
The remarks indicate a breakdown of trust with the Israeli leader which could have wider implications for the Middle East peace process, our correspondent says.

[fgg]

"I can't stand him any more, he's a liar," Mr Sarkozy said in French.
"You may be sick of him, but me, I have to deal with him every day," Mr Obama replied.

obama speaks french?

Journalists at the bilateral press conference had been handed translation boxes but had been told not to plug in their headphones until the backroom conversation had finished. But those who did heard the revealing comments.

dur...um, who here wouldn't have plugged in early? i'd be all over that.

[sputnik]

not sure if obama speaks french or if they all had headphones and simultaneous interpretation, not just the journalists. i'm guessing the latter.

[MohandasKGanja]

What's going to happen now is that conservative types (FoxNews, et. al.) are going to trumpet their pro-Israel credentials by claiming that if Sarkozy had said that to THEM about Israel, they would have given Sarkozy an atomic wedgie, followed by some serious noogies.

I would, however, like to know why Sarkozy thinks that Netanyahu is a liar - and by that I mean, to what extent is Bibi more of a liar than the typical politician?

[sputnik]

the guardian's take on the incident:

On balance, Sarko's aside does more damage to Netanyahu. After all, he came to power as the most pro-Israel French president in decades and is clearly losing patience. To call someone a 'liar' is no profanity (although MPs are not permitted to apply it to each other in parliament), but is all the more cutting because of it, especially with another world leader nodding in agreement. It reinforces Netanyahu's image at home as an opportunist who is losing Israel friends abroad.
Oh to be a fly on the wall at their next encounter.

and it seems that some israelis agree:

Though Iran was the top story in the Israeli media on Tuesday, the main newspapers also ran the Arret Sur Images report.
The Jerusalem Post reported that a spokesman for the opposition party Kadima -- whose last campaign slogan was "Bibi [Netanyahu's nickname], I don't believe him" -- declined to comment, saying, "What Sarkozy said is more than enough."
http://abcnews.go.com/International/...0#.TrmU3XGQ0lo

i always thought netanyahu was a hypocritical, opportunistic asshole. glad to see others agree.

[Working Girl]

Interesting that Mr. Sarkozy, who ignited a scandal by posting a forged picture of himself at the Berlin Wall on his Facebook page, has the audacity to call someone else a liar.

And don't get me started on how much he loved Gaddafi until the oil became a problem and he started a war against him..of course we are told to believe he did it for the people just like the US in Iraq..wink wink

[Grimmlok]

I fail to see how that makes Bibi any less a nutball liar. They're all liars. They're politicians. Obama's told some whoppers in his day.