G20 Gaffe: Obama, Sarkozy Reportedly Complain About Israeli Prime Minister

A pair of open microphones reportedly captured French President Nicolas Sarkozy and President Barack Obama complaining about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week.

The diplomatic faux pas occurred following a G20 press conference in Cannes last Thursday, YNetNews reported. The two world leaders had retired to a private room to have a conversation, but failed to turn off their microphones.

According to a report on the French website Arret sur Images, Obama criticized Sarkozy for not telling him in advance that France planned to vote in favor of Palestinian membership bid in UNESCO. The U.S. strongly opposes such membership. Then the conversation drifted to Netanyahu, The New York Times reported:

"I cannot stand him," Mr. Sarkozy was quoted as saying. "He is a liar."

Mr. Obama is reported to have replied, "You're fed up with him, but I have to deal with him every day!"

Although the remarks were overheard by half a dozen journalists, who were still wearing headsets to hear translations, French media remained silent about the exchange for several days in an effort not to embarrass Sarkozy, BBC News reported. Israeli media outlets showed no such restraint, publishing the frank exchange in full.

The White House has not yet commented on the matter.

Comments

[Eagleman]

12:46 PM on 11/09/2011

So what ? We all know where Obama stands

[stacyoh]

08:02 AM on 11/09/2011

it's been long overdue for isreal to put their big girl panties on and stand on their own without their big brother bully the united states to back them.

[Darren Christman]

05:50 PM on 11/08/2011

Speaking the truth is not a gaffe. If more people did it perhaps we could solve this conflict and these wars which Israel is in part responsible for but refuses to admit.

[Leslie Diffin]

04:14 PM on 11/15/2011

There is no partly to blame. Israel has no right to claim any of the things they have taken by warfare. If you'd like, please read anything by Professor Joseph Massad. He is Associate Professor of Modern Arab Politics and Intellectual History at Columbia University. His most recent books are The Persistence of the Palestinian Question and Desiring Arabs. You can google smaller articles.

[1highstepper]

02:16 PM on 11/08/2011

Oh come on! It is only reasonable to believe Netanyahu has made like comments about Obama and Sarkozy as well. Petty journalism at work.

[rotti]

01:07 PM on 11/08/2011

Well I guess it is hard now to not really know what your messiah really thinks about Israel. Obama hates Israel and it is no surprise knowing what church he attended. I an sure there are a lot of Obama voters that wished that news outlets like this one and CNN and MSNBC did not do their job and investigate what will no doubt be the worst, un-influencial President in the history of the USA. What a shame!

[lemmyk73]

10:55 AM on 11/08/2011

Voters need to wake up and see Obama is not out for them. While unquestioned support for Israel is beyond silly, comments like these from worl leaders is unacceptable and further shows how unfit for Office Obama really is.

[ThomasMc]

09:17 AM on 11/08/2011

It's about time America wake up and realize how it is being used and abused by Israel.