zIONISTS STILL NERVOUS ABOUT OBAMA

Some Israelis Insulted By Obama

CBS News

Israeli TV newscasters Tuesday night interpreted a photo [above] taken Monday in the Oval Office of President Obama talking on the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as an "insult" to Israel.

They saw the incident as somewhat akin to an incident last
year, when the Iraqi reporter threw a shoe at President
Bush in Baghdad.

It is considered an insult in the Arab world to show the
sole of your shoe to someone. It is not a Jewish custom
necessarily, but Israel feels enough a part of the Middle
East after 60 years to be insulted too.

Was there a subliminal message intended from the White
House to Netanyahu in Jerusalem, who is publicly resisting
attempts by Mr. Obama and Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton to force Israel to stop any kind of settlement
activity in occupied territories once and forever?

Whether or not it is true, it shows the mood in Israel.
They feel cornered. The reactions out of Israel reflect
that feeling.

Netanyahu is making a speech Sunday, in part as a response
to Mr. Obama's address to the Arab world last week in
Cairo.

Israel's Channel One TV reported that Netanyahu was told
Tuesday by an "American official" in Jerusalem that, "We
are going to change the world. Please, don't interfere."
The report said Netanyahu's aides interpreted this as a
"threat."

Netanyahu met with George Mitchell today for four hours in
Jerusalem. The State Department announced this afternoon
that Mitchell will be stopping in Beirut and Damascus when
he finishes his visits to Israel and the Palestinian
Authority.