Obama Shoe Photo Seen As "Insult" By Some Israelis

A photograph of President Obama has caused some controversy in Israel.

White House photographer Pete Sousa on Monday snapped a photo of the president while he talked on the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

In the photo, Obama has his feet propped up on a desk inside the Oval Office, and a number of Israeli newscasters last night called the posture insulting, since in many Arab countries, it is considered an insult to show someone the sole of your shoe.

While the shoe-sole taboo is not a Jewish custom necessarily, the reaction to the photo is a telling indication of the way some Israeli commenters are adjusting to the new U.S. administration's approach to the Middle East.

It was widely reported in the both Israeli and U.S. press after Netanyahu's visit to Washington last month that meetings between the two leaders had been tense, and President Obama's speech in Egypt last week also raised some eyebrows in Israel.

An article in Haaretz - which, incidentally, is considered to be one of the more liberal-leaning Israeli dailies - interpreted the photo like this:

A photo released by the White House, which shows Obama talking on the phone with Netanyahu on Monday, speaks volumes: The president is seen with his legs up on the table, his face stern and his fist clenched, as though he were dictating to Netanyahu: "Listen up and write 'Palestinian state' a hundred times. That's right, Palestine, with a P." As an enthusiast of Muslim culture, Obama surely knows there is no greater insult in the Middle East than pointing the soles of one's shoes at another person. Indeed, photos of other presidential phone calls depict Obama leaning on his desk, with his feet on the floor.

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Comments

[ebroadcast]

04:53 PM on 07/01/2009

You have more important things to worry about, Ok Israel?

[Margaret Motheral]

11:18 AM on 06/15/2009

There is this thing about respecting over culture modes and manners and customs. It's important, but sometimes it takes a lot of time to learn those rules.

Americans have customs too. Putting your feet up on the desk and leaning back to converse on the phone is as natural as apple pie for Americans. Get over it. At least he's talking to you.

[Jingo]

08:51 PM on 06/13/2009

So it's disrespectful for Obama to allow the bottom of his shoes to be seen while talking to the Israeli PM, who is not even in the same room.... or even on the same continent for that matter? What does that say about me when I call my mother while lounging around in my underwear?

[oklahoma football ou]

01:51 AM on 06/13/2009

Good, Obama should get tough with Israel. About Time in my book.

[STEPMAN]

10:07 AM on 06/12/2009

Just saw this article about the shoes, the fist and the stern look. Good Golly! If that is not the most stupid viewpoint ever. The writer of the article in Haaretz should be pelted with a shower of shoes, all heaved from clenched fists by stern looking folks. Obama is their friend. Israel will survive.

[Kevin Micheal]

08:00 PM on 06/11/2009

so as an American i find that a woman who is forced to wear a head scarf is a insult, but do they care what insults me - NO - so they can all PISS off.

[Tolmoan]

04:50 PM on 06/11/2009

Much ado about zilch!

[nanjemoy]

03:55 PM on 06/11/2009

The real danger here is not the position of his shoe, but the fact that he is making the Jedi strangulation gesture with his fingers. Don't the Israeli secret service have anything that can protect the prime minister against the power of the force!!??

[tbonehead]

12:05 PM on 06/11/2009

when you don't have a leg to stand on, I guess you can only stand in BS! the pettiness of some of our generations has driven us from an industrialized giant, to a production giant, to a service giant, to finally a "CYA" giant; but we can still say "We're #1 with that good ol' Newt Gingrich foolish pride!"

[bdaved]

11:49 AM on 06/11/2009

I wouldn't call that a stern face, and if that's a clenched fist it's a pretty girly one, but I must say those pedal extremities are too colossal.

[rwt1138]

11:40 AM on 06/11/2009

Israelis confuse me. They think Arabs are sub-human but have decided to adopt one of their taboos just to get offended?

[ldillworth]

10:59 AM on 06/11/2009

umm, Israel is acting like a petulant child, kinda like the GOP. You can't have it your way all the time.

He is not making a fist, he's putting his thumb and index finger together as if to make a fine point, and his face is merely focused.

I support Israel's right to exist, but c'mon get a grip.

[PresWatch]

10:29 AM on 06/11/2009

Are they too offended to accept the billions the US gives them annually?

[Horus45]

10:20 AM on 06/11/2009

Fist Clenched????

Come on you dolts, I would hardly call that a clenched fist or a "Stern Look".

[A4D2N]

10:19 AM on 06/11/2009

Do you really think the average Israeli really gives much thought to this BS. Get a grip on life! Your own government is spending you and I into unrecoverable debt while the minions on this site talk about some shoe issue. Why did I click on it? Good grief no wonder we are in trouble.

[golferman]

10:38 AM on 06/11/2009

Now your worried about the debt. And your on this sit minion.