U.S., Israeli, And Russian National Security Advisers To Meet In Jerusalem Next Month

U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton speaks during an interview at the White House in Washington, U.S., March 29, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo

Reuters: Top U.S., Israeli, Russian security officials to meet in Jerusalem in June: White House

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House national security adviser John Bolton and his Israeli and Russian counterparts will meet in Jerusalem in June to discuss regional security issues, the White House said on Wednesday.

In a brief statement, the White House said Bolton, Israeli national security adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat and Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of the Russian Security Council, would take part in the meeting.

Read more ....

Update: Bolton to Meet Israeli, Russian Counterparts in Jerusalem in June - White House (Sputnik)

WNU Editor: The White House statement is here .... Statement by the Press Secretary Regarding the Trilateral Meeting of the National Security Advisors from the United States, Israel, and Russia. What will be discussed? My guess is Iran and Syria.

Israel Is Worried About President Trump's Middle East Strategy

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump meeting at the Trump Tower in New York, September 25, 2016. (Kobi Gideon/GPO)

Brian Katulis & Yoram Schweitzer, Foreign Policy: Israel Is Growing Increasingly Worried About the Trump Administration

As Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Russia rush to fill the vacuum of leadership in the Middle East, the United States is AWOL.

Israel’s reaction to U.S. President Donald Trump’s Iran speech last month was best summed up by a former senior official we recently met in Tel Aviv: “It sounds very nice, and I like it very much, but what’s next?”

What we heard last month in Israel on Iran was less focused on the fate of the nuclear deal and more concerned about glaring gaps in U.S. strategy to deter Iran’s destabilizing actions and support for terrorist groups in the wider Middle East.

If and how the Trump administration addresses these gaps in its regional strategy will have implications for America’s security and its allies for years to come — and what we heard in Israel is a growing worry that Trump lacks any operable plan at all on Iran.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: I love reading comments like this one from Foreign Policy when it comes to President Trump's foreign policy in the Middle East ....

.... Making matters worse, Trump and his incoherent foreign policy have alienated America’s partners and shredded U.S. credibility as a trustworthy global leader.

President Obama's fulfilling his pledge to withdraw US military forces from Iraq and his secret talks with Iran on negotiating a nuclear deal with Iran is what "shredded U.S. credibility as a trustworthy leader" with its allies in this part of the world .... not President Trump who only been President for less than 10 months.

As for Israeli concerns on the Trump administration. President Trump was not elected to satisfy Israeli concerns. The U.S. and Israel are strategic allies, but their foreign policies and priorities are sometimes different. In regards to Iran .... both countries have the same view, the difference is on what to do about it.

On a side note .... and that is because I know some of the people who work there .... Foreign Policy has gone 100% anti-Trump. It was bad enough to read analysis and commentaries from people who I respected suffering from Obama derangement syndrome when he was President, but this Trump derangement syndrome has gone to a completely different level. In turn .... for this blog .... covering the debate, analysis, and commentary on U.S. politics has become more and more difficult with each passing month. And sadly .... my prediction from earlier this year still holds ..... it is going to get worse.

President Trump To Meet Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu To Discuss The Middle East

ABC News: Trump to host Netanyahu in meeting focused on Iran, Middle East talks

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet face-to-face with President Trump on Wednesday, setting the tone for what both leaders hope to be the dawn of a new era for the U.S.-Israel relationship. Analysts say that the meeting will hope to project a public theme of unity between the two governments on topics including Iran, Israeli settlements and the fate of the peace process.

"Both President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu have a very big stake in wanting to demonstrate that whatever the problems were with the last administration, they're now gone," Dennis Ross, a diplomat and former special Middle East coordinator under Clinton, told reporters on a call this week.

Read more ....

More News On Today's Meeting Between President Trump TAnd Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu

Trump to Welcome Netanyahu as Palestinians Fear U.S. Shift -- Reuters
Trump, Netanyahu look for fresh start -- The Hill
Ahead of Netanyahu visit, White House says peace may not include two-state solution -- AP
U.S. official: Trump will not press ‘two-state’ peace track in first talks with Israel’s Netanyahu -- Washington Post
Trump will not insist on two-state solution as Netanyahu visits -- AFP
White House will not push for two-state solution in Middle East -- DW
Palestinians caution Trump against abandoning two-state concept -- Reuters

Israel Has Concerns That President Obama Will Implement A More Pro-Palestinian Policy In The Remaining Weeks Of His Term

President Obama with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel last year. Credit Doug Mills/The New York Times

Eli Lake, Bloomberg: Israel Braces for Obama's Parting Gift to Palestinians

When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was re-elected last year, the White House threatened to reconsider long-standing U.S. policy to veto U.N. Security Council resolutions on Israel's presence in the West Bank. At issue was a last-minute interview in which Netanyahu said there would be no Palestinian state as long as he was prime minister. He took back that statement after the election. Nonetheless, the White House directed policymakers to draw up a set of options for how Obama could "preserve the two-state solution," according to one U.S. official privy to the process.

So far, nothing has come of Obama's threat. Indeed last month, Obama signed an agreement with Israel to extend the U.S. subsidy of its military for another ten years. In foreign policy, Obama is focused on the collapse of U.S. policy in Syria, which has become an even greater humanitarian emergency in the last month with the Russian and Iranian-led siege of Aleppo. Politically, the White House is working to elect Hillary Clinton as Obama's successor.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: I will be surprised if he will follow through with his threat. President Obama's focus is elsewhere .... Syria, the U.S. Presidential election, Russia, etc.. 

Is The U.S. About To Take A Harder Line Against Israel?

President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared at a news conference at the White House on Sept. 10, 2010, a time when both countries began to split over the best means to keep Iran from an atomic bomb. PHOTO: JASON REED/REUTERS

Arutz Sheva: Report: US planning to take tougher line against Israel

Senior diplomats say upcoming report to 'put Israel on notice' that patience thinning in Obama administration.

The Middle East Quartet, made up of the US, EU, UN, and Russia, is scheduled to release a major policy report later in coming weeks, and senior diplomats involved in its drafting have indicated that the US is taking a far harder line on Israel than in the past.

The report, which is likely to be released in late May or early June, will focus heavily on Israeli construction in Judea, Samaria, and Jerusalem, senior diplomats told AP. The Quartet’s report will also take Israel to task for the demolition of illegal Arab buildings – many of which were built with the support of the European Union.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: A harder line against Israel in the middle of a tight election year .... this I have to see.

Vice President Biden: U.S. Feels 'Overwhelming Frustration' With Israeli Government

Reuters: U.S. feels 'overwhelming frustration' with Israeli government - Biden

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden on Monday acknowledged "overwhelming frustration" with the Israeli government and said the systemic expansion of Jewish settlements was moving Israel toward a dangerous "one-state reality" and in the wrong direction.

Addressing the J Street lobby group in Washington, Biden said despite disagreements with Israel over settlements or the Iran nuclear deal, the United States had an obligation to push Israel toward a two-state solution to end the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.

"We have an overwhelming obligation, notwithstanding our sometimes overwhelming frustration with the Israeli government, to push them as hard as we can toward what they know in their gut is the only ultimate solution, a two-state solution, while at the same time be an absolute guarantor of their security," Biden said.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: I suspect that many in Israel feel the same way towards the White House.

More News On Vice President Biden;s Remarks That The U.S. Feels 'Overwhelming Frustration' With Israeli Government

Biden: 'Overwhelming frustration' with Israeli gov't -- AP
Joe Biden blasts Benjamin Netanyahu, government for moving Israel in ‘wrong direction’ -- Washington Times
US feels 'overwhelming frustration' with Israeli government, says Biden -- The Guardian
Biden slams Netanyahu hours after Jerusalem attack -- FOX News

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Has Cancelled His Trip To Meet President Obama

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting at his office in Jerusalem March 6, 2016. REUTERS/ABIR SULTAN/POOL

Reuters: Israel's Netanyahu declines offer to meet with Obama: White House

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declined an offer to meet U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House later this month and canceled his trip to Washington, the White House said on Monday.

Netanyahu's decision to nix his U.S. visit marked the latest episode in a fraught relationship with Obama that has yet to recover from their deep differences over last year's U.S.-led international nuclear deal with Iran, Israel's arch foe.

The White House said the Israeli government had requested a Netanyahu meeting with Obama on either March 18 or 19 and that two weeks ago he was offered a March 18 encounter.

"We were looking forward to hosting the bilateral meeting, and we were surprised to first learn via media reports that the prime minister, rather than accept our invitation, opted to cancel his visit," White House spokesman Ned Price said in an emailed statement. "Reports that we were not able to accommodate the prime minister's schedule are false," he said.

Read more ....

Update #1: White House ‘surprised’ Netanyahu declined Obama invite (AFP)
Update #2: Netanyahu Calls Off Washington Visit, and Fingers Point (NYT)

WNU Editor: The Israelis are the ones who asked for this meeting .... and they are now the ones who are cancelling it. Something is cooking.

A Thaw In U.S. - Israel Relations?

President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared at a news conference at the White House on Sept. 10, 2010, a time when both countries began to split over the best means to keep Iran from an atomic bomb. PHOTO: JASON REED/REUTERS

CNN: Kerry says 'fight' with Netanyahu over, Obama to visit Israeli Embassy

Davos, Switzerland (CNN)The recent thaw between the Obama administration and Israel was further evident on Friday when the White House announced that the President plans to deliver remarks on International Holocaust Remembrance Day at the Israeli Embassy in Washington.

The White House said Friday that President Barack Obama would "posthumously recognize four individuals who heroically risked their lives to save Jews from the Nazis" during the event next Wednesday.

Members of Obama's administration had privately blamed Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer for fueling the breakdown in relations by orchestrating Netanyahu's March address to Congress lobbying against the Iran nuclear deal, which the White House said reflected a breach in protocol since it wasn't consulted.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Everyone is being nice now for different reasons .... for the White House it is because it is an election year .... no need to alienate their Jewish supporters. For the israelis .... they are about to receive a huge military aid package from the U.S. .... Netanyahu: U.S., Israel close on military aid package (USA Today) .... no need to alienate the administration over this. But bottom line .... the relationship are still poisonous .... Ex-Netanyahu adviser insults US’s Israel envoy with ethnic slight (Financial Times).

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry: Israeli-Palestinian Conflict May 'Spin Out Of Control'

Wall Street Journal: Kerry Warns Violence in Mideast Could ‘Spin Out of Control’

U.S. secretary of state calls for immediate steps to ease Israeli-Palestinian tensions

BOSTON—After talks in Israel and the West Bank aimed at calming tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, Secretary of State John Kerry said on Wednesday the situation is reaching a pivotal point and that the two sides must take immediate steps so the violence doesn’t “spin out of control.”

“Both sides have important decisions to make for the future and we obviously hope they make the choices that will advance the prospects for lasting peace,” he told reporters traveling with him at the end of a three-day trip to the Middle East that included his first visit to Israel and the West Bank in over a year.

The U.S. is urging the two sides to avoid provocative actions, including Israeli construction of new settlements and Palestinian incitement to violence. Mr. Kerry traveled to the Mideast on Tuesday to try to ease tensions amid a two-month wave of violence sparked by clashes between Israeli police and Palestinians at a holy site in Jerusalem.

Update: Kerry fears Israeli-Palestinian conflict may 'spin out of control' (AFP)

WNU editor: After one year U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry makes a visit to Israel .... and finds that nothing has changed. But the Middle East is changing, and in the whole scheme of things the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is insignificant in comparison to the slaughter that is occurring just next door in Syria and in Iraq.

Obama, Netanyahu Talk Jordan Attacks, Security

Voice of America: Iran, Israel Violence on Agenda for Obama-Netanyahu Talks

U.S. President Barack Obama is hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for talks Monday as the Israeli leader makes his first visit to Washington since the United States and five other world powers signed a nuclear deal with Iran.

Netanyahu was among the most vocal critics of the July agreement, saying it would not slow Iran's work toward a nuclear weapon and would put Israel in danger. He highlighted his concerns in an address to the Republican-controlled U.S. Congress in March during a trip where he did not meet with Obama.

The White House said the Iranian deal will be among the regional security issues that Obama and Netanyahu will discuss in the meeting that will also be attended by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden.

More News On Today's Obama - Netanyahu Meeting

Obama, Israel's Netanyahu seek to mend fences in White House talks -- Reuters
Obama, Netanyahu stress need for peace -- The Hill
Obama meets Netanyahu amid controversy over Israeli leader's aide -- FOX News
Obama, Netanyahu voice commitment to peace process -- CBS
Obama and Netanyahu Pledge to Strengthen Ties -- WSJ
Obama: 'Looking to Find Common Ground' With Netanyahu -- NBC
Obama, Netanyahu smooth over tensions in White House meeting -- USA Today
Obama Tells Netanyahu Their Differences Can, Must Be Narrowed -- Bloomberg
Israeli leader heads to Washington as spokesman draws fire -- AP
Obama and Netanyahu: A Story of Slights and Crossed Signals -- NYT
Benjamin Netanyahu is meeting with Obama today. Here’s what he wants. -- Zack Beauchamp, VOX

What To Expect From The Upcoming Visit By Israeli PM Netanyahu To The U.S.

Barack Obama with Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office. Photo: Pete Souza.

New York Times: Netanyahu May Try to Mend Fences in First U.S. Visit Since Iran Deal

WASHINGTON — Democratic members of Congress felt the wrath of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and pro-Israel groups almost immediately after announcing their support for the nuclear deal with Iran.

They were left off the guest list of the annual Rosh Hashana reception at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, traditionally a bipartisan affair. Senator Chris Coons of Delaware was nearly disinvited by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee from a gathering with wealthy donors in New York City — a result, the group told members, of his “disappointing decision on the Iran vote.” Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, who is facing an expensive re-election campaign in 2016, had fund-raisers around the country canceled by pro-Israel supporters.

WNU Editor: I love how the New York Times is trying to put a spin on this story .... that Israeli PM Netanyahu is "trying to mend fences". Next year is an election year in the U.S., and the Democrats are going to need to get every vote that they can get, especially from their Jewish supporters. That is why I expect the opposite to occur in this visit .... U.S. Democrats trying to mend fences with their traditional Jewish base, and they will start by giving Israel the $5 billion in security assistance that the Israeli government has already made a request for.

Obama, Netanyahu To Meet On Middle East Security This Monday

VOA: Obama, Netanyahu to Meet on Mideast Security

WHITE HOUSE - The speech was unprecedented.

“My friends, for over a year, we've been told that no deal is better than a bad deal. Well, this is a bad deal. It's a very bad deal. We're better off without it.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could not have been more blunt, as he stood before Congress on March 3 and delivered a pointed critique of U.S.-led efforts to negotiate a nuclear deal with Iran.

Netanyahu spoke at the invitation of then-Republican House Speaker John Boehner, as the Obama administration worked to hammer out the agreement between the P5+1 and Iran.

Several Democratic lawmakers boycotted the speech, calling it an affront and an effort to undermine the American president.

WNU Editor: The Israeli list on what they want from this meeting is long .... U.S. officials: Israel wants up to $5 billion in annual military aid (Al Arabiya/Reuters). My prediction .... they will get most of what they want.

Israeli PM's Spokesman Has Accused President Obama Of Anti-Semitism And John Kerry Having The Mental Abilities Of A 12-Year-Old

Reuters: Netanyahu's new media chief has called Obama anti-Semitic, Kerry 'comical'

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - He has accused Barack Obama of anti-Semitism, suggested his own country's president was not important enough to assassinate and described U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry as having the mental abilities of a 12-year-old.

Ran Baratz's Facebook and web page barbs might have remained forever on the margins of social media, save for one thing: the appointment of the 42-year-old philosophy lecturer as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's new communications director.

As head of public diplomacy and media, Baratz, who was named to the post on Wednesday, will be tasked with improving Israel's reputation in the world.

More News On The Israeli PM's Spokesman Accusing President Obama Of Anti-Semitism And John Kerry Having The Mental Abilities Of A 12-Year-Old

Netanyahu’s new top media adviser called Obama an anti-Semite -- Washington Post
Israel's New Media Chief Accused Obama of Anti-Semitism in Facebook Rant -- Sputnik
Ran Baratz: Benjamin Netanyahu spokesman branded Barack Obama ‘anti-Semitic’ in Facebook posts -- Independent
Netanyahu’s new media czar called Obama ‘anti-Semitic’ -- Times of Israel
Ron Baratz, the new media advisor, called US President Obama's conduct anti-Semitic -- i24 News
US angry at comments about Obama from Israeli PM's spokesman -- The Guardian/Reuters
US slams 'offensive' comments by Netanyahu's new spokesman -- DW
Netanyahu Spokesman Apologizes for Insulting Obama, Kerry -- VOA
Filling a Top Post, Netanyahu Reconsiders Nominee Who Insulted Obama -- NYT
Ran Baratz: Israel 'to review' appointment over Facebook row -- BBC
PM denies he’ll review choice of media chief who called Obama anti-Semitic -- Times of Israel

U.S. - Israeli Intelligence Cooperation Coming To An End?

President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared at a news conference at the White House on Sept. 10, 2010, a time when both countries began to split over the best means to keep Iran from an atomic bomb. PHOTO: JASON REED/REUTERS

Wall Street Journal: Spy vs. Spy: Inside the Fraying U.S.-Israel Ties

Distrust set allies to snoop on each other after split over Iran nuclear deal; each kept secrets.

The U.S. closely monitored Israel’s military bases and eavesdropped on secret communications in 2012, fearing its longtime ally might try to carry out a strike on Fordow, Iran’s most heavily fortified nuclear facility.

Nerves frayed at the White House after senior officials learned Israeli aircraft had flown in and out of Iran in what some believed was a dry run for a commando raid on the site. Worried that Israel might ignite a regional war, the White House sent a second aircraft carrier to the region and readied attack aircraft, a senior U.S. official said, “in case all hell broke loose.”

The two countries, nursing a mutual distrust, each had something to hide. U.S. officials hoped to restrain Israel long enough to advance negotiations on a nuclear deal with Iran that the U.S. had launched in secret. U.S. officials saw Israel’s strike preparations as an attempt to usurp American foreign policy.

WNU Editor: This is a must read post from the WSJ. It is a very comprehensive analysis on U.S. - Israeli intelligence cooperation (or lack of) on Iran, and it exposes how bad U.S. - Israeli relations have become during President Obama's term in office. There are also a number of classified revelations in this post .... which I am sure the Israelis are not happy to be reading about it in the Wall Street Journal.

The Reason Why Israel is Not Going To Get America's Bunker-Busting Bombs After All

MOP dropped from a B-52 Stratofortress (Boeing)

Nathan Guttman, Forward: Why U.S. Won't Give Israel Bunker-Busting Bombs After All

It weighs more than seven average cars, is taller than a two-story building when upright, and can penetrate the ground to 200-feet, making it by far the heaviest piece of conventional weaponry held by a modern-day military.

The Massive Ordnance Penetrator, which has never been used in combat, was built to allow American forces the ability to penetrate even the most fortified of enemy bunkers, dug deep in the ground and protected by walls of concrete.

But as powerful as the MOP is in depriving enemies of their most guarded facilities, it is also, as demonstrated in recent months, a useful political tool. The MOP, it turns out, has been used to shield elected officials from criticism and to show their unwavering support for a Middle East ally whose own desire for the weapon was nonexistent.

WNU Editor: Why am I not surprised.

U.S. And Israel Intensify Their Military Cooperation

Israel Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon met with USMC Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on Oct. 18, 2015. (Photo: Israel Ministry of Defence)

Reuters: Israel, U.S. signal security ties back on track after Iran feud

Israel and the United States signalled on Sunday they were starting to put disputes over the Iran nuclear deal behind them, announcing resumed talks on U.S. defence aid for Israel as it hosted Washington's top general and a joint air force drill.

The allies had been looking to agree on a 10-year military aid package to extend the current U.S. grants to Israel worth $3 billion annually, which are due to expire in 2017.

But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu froze those negotiations ahead of the July deal reached between Iran and world powers, which Israel deems insufficiently stringent and against which it had lobbied the U.S. Congress.

WNU Editor: It looks like the Israelis gave U.S. Marine General Joseph Dunford the "royal treatment".

More News On The U.S. And Israel resuming Military Cooperation

US military head meets Israeli leaders -- AP
Israel's Netanyahu meets with head of U.S. Joint Chiefs -- USA Today
Israel, U.S. resume defense aid talks halted over Iran deal: envoy -- Reuters
US Military Intensifies Cooperation With Israel -- Defense News
Israel, U.S. present close military coordination despite strife over Iran nuclear deal -- Xinhuanet

Top U.S. General Arrives In Israel for Talks On Syria, Russia, And Iran Deal

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Daniel B. Shapiro meets with U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Corp Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr. at the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem, Israel, Oct. 17, 2015. DoD photo by D. Myles Cullen

Haaretz: U.S. Military Chief Lands in Israel for First Official Visit Abroad

Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford will meet Israeli counterpart Gadi Eisenkot to discuss Iran deal, Russia and Syria, as well as continued cooperation of two countries' armies.

The chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Joseph Dunford, landed in Israel on Saturday evening for an official visit to discuss the Iran nuclear deal, Russia, and Syria. This is Dunford's first official visit outside of the United States since assuming the post on October 1.

On Sunday, Dunford, a Marine general, will review an honor guard at Israel Defense Forces headquarters at the Kirya in Tel Aviv before meeting with his Israeli counterpart, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot.

Update #1: Dunford Arrives in Jerusalem for Talks With Israeli Officials, U.S. Ambassador -- US Department of Defense
Update #2: U.S. military chairman in Israel for meetings, amid violence -- AP

WNU Editor: After the pleasantries, I am willing to bet that the first question that Gen. Joseph Dunford will be asking his Israeli counterpart is .... what are the details of your deal with the Russians over Syria.

U.S. And Israel Quietly Begin Talks After The Passing Of The Iran Nuclear Deal

President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel hold a joint press availability in the Oval Office July 6, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Haaretz: Away From Spotlight, Israel and U.S. Begin post-Iran Deal Security Talks

Israeli and American officials say initial, unofficial talks will turn into higher-level discussions in coming weeks, and culminate in November when Netanyahu and Obama meet in Washington.

With no public announcements, keeping a low profile and unofficial status, Israel and the United States began two weeks ago talks aimed at addressing the aftermath of the nuclear accord with Iran. Senior American and Israeli officials said that the preliminary low-level contacts preceded what would in coming weeks turn into full-fledged meetings at the highest levels.

Ten days ago, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attended a Rosh Hashanah toast at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem. It was the first visit by Netanyahu, who is also the foreign minister, since the new government was formed in May.

WNU Editor: The U.S. - Israeli relationship will remain strong because of other factors .... but the Obama - Netanyahu relationship is damaged, and I doubt that they will reconcile any-time soon.

More News On U.S. - Israeli Relations

After Iran deal, Obama faces uphill struggle in gaining the trust of Israelis -- AP
Talks between US and Israel 'quietly' taking place after passing of Iran deal -- i24 News
With Iran deal through Congress, Netanyahu to meet Kerry, Obama -- Jerusalem Post
Obama likely to meet Israel's Netanyahu in November, White House says -- Reuters
White House seeks November meeting between Obama, Netanyahu -- AP
Obama, Netanyahu, and the Future of the Jewish State -- Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantic

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry: 'Death To America' Chants Are 'Pretty Stupid'

The Hill: Kerry told Iranians: 'Death to America' chants are 'pretty stupid'

Secretary of State John Kerry says he told Iranian officials during the nuclear talks that "death to America" chants at public rallies in their country were "pretty stupid."

"I told them that their chants of 'death to America' and so forth are not helpful, and they're pretty stupid," Kerry said, lowering his voice, during a question-and-answer session at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, where he sought to sell the controversial nuclear deal.

Critics have long seized on the chants, saying it shows Tehran is hostile to the United States and that the international community should not trust negotiations with them.

Update: John Kerry to Iran: Stop ‘Death to America’ chants -- Politico

WNU Editor: For some reason .... I have deep doubts that John Kerry called these top Iranian officials "stupid".

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry: Israeli Military Action Against Iran Would Be 'Huge Mistake'

Reuters: Kerry: Israeli action against Iran would be 'huge mistake' - NBC

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday it would be a huge mistake if Israel decided to take unilateral military action against Iran over its nuclear program in the future.

Kerry was asked in an NBC "Today" show interview if the nuclear deal reached last week between would make it more likely that Israel might attempt a military or cyber attack on Tehran.

"That'd be an enormous mistake, a huge mistake with grave consequences for Israel and for the region, and I don't think it's necessary," Kerry said.

WNU Editor: If Israel should decide to strike Iran .... my guess is that knowing what the Israelis now now about John Kerry .... they are going to keep him (and others in the Obama administration) in the dark.

More News On U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's Remarks That Israeli Military Action Against Iran Would Be 'Huge Mistake'

Kerry Warns Israel: Strike on Iran Would Be 'Enormous Mistake' -- Arutz Sheva
Israeli military action against Iran would be 'huge mistake,' Kerry says -- Jerusalem Post
Kerry: Unilateral Action by Israel Against Iran Would Be ‘Enormous Mistake,’ Could Give Regime ‘Reason’ For Pursuing Nuclear Weapons -- Washington Free Beacon
Kerry says Israeli strike on Iran nuclear facilities would be ‘enormous mistake’ -- JNS
Kerry: Israel Will Be ‘Blamed’ If Congress Rejects Iran Deal -- Washington Free Beacon

Update: Damned if you do .... damned if you don't .... Kerry: If Congress rejects Iran deal, world will blame Israel (Haaretz).