i24news

PublishedApril 01st 2014

 

            

Obama aide reportedly refuses to meet Israeli envoy

National Security Adviser Susan Rice has not met Israel's ambassador since he arrived six months ago
Susan Rice, President Barack Obama's National Security Adviser and one of his closest aides, is refusing to meet with Israel's ambassador to Washington, Ron Dermer, Israel Radio reported Tuesday.
Dermer, a close associate of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has been in Washington since October and presented his credentials to Obama in December. Nonetheless, and in a departure from the practice of previous national security advisers and previous Israeli envoys, Rice has not met with him.
Dermer has been identified with Republican politics in the past. He was a protégé of Republican pollster Frank Luntz and helped firm Netanyahu’s ties to American Republicans. In the 2012 election, while working for Netanyahu, he helped arrange Republican candidate Mitt Romney’s campaign visit to Israel. According to the liberal-leaning The New Republic, Dermer "epitomized the Netanyahu government’s hostility to Barack Obama and his administration."
Israel Radio's diplomatic analyst, Chico Menashe, reported that prior to naming him ambassador to Washington, Netanyahu's people checked with the White House to ensure that Dermer's past affiliation would not pose a problem. They were reportedly assured that it would