Israel To Review Appointment of Spokesman Who Accused Obama of Anti-Semitism

Correcting the State Department, Prime Minister Netanyahu tweeted in Hebrew that he never said he would reconsider the appointment of Ran Baratz as his spokesperson.

Netanyahu and Obama are due to meet to try to mend fences after fierce feuding over the Iran nuclear deal that Israel opposes.

In Washington, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the apology was “warranted” but stopped short of opposing the appointment.

The Facebook posts appeared soon after Mr Netanyahu declared the appointment of philosophy lecturer Mr Baratz as his chief spokesman.

Already the largest recipient of U.S. military aid at $3.1 billion, the prospect of an increase this year for Israel was more or less taken for granted. On Thursday it emerged that Netanyahu decided not to invite Baratz to accompany him on his trip to Washington. “They are inappropriate and do not reflect my positions or the policies of the government”, Mr Netanyahu said. That’s why it’s so important he make clear that, not only is the status quo risky and unacceptable, but that government actions which undermine the two-state solution hurt Israel’s special relationship with the United States.

Former Anti-Defamation League National Director Abe Foxman is calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “distance himself” from the appointment of Ran Baratz as head of the Israel’s public diplomacy (hasbara) department in the Prime Minister’s Office.

“When Netanyahu didn’t know about Baratz’s statement, that was one thing, though it pointed to faulty vetting”.

Rafi Mann, a professor of communication at Ariel University in the West Bank, called the distinction hollow.

While we wait to see if the suspension of Baratz, the founding editor of conservative news site Mida, will be permanent, here’s a roundup of a few of his most controversial comments.

Baratz wrote about Obama on his Facebook page in March, after Netanyahu addressed the US Congress to express his opposition to the Iran deal.

State Department Spokesman John Kirby said on Thursday that Mr Baratz’s comments about the president and the secretary were “troubling and offensive…” Israel denies the allegations. “I asked the prime minister for a meeting to clarify the comments in the coming days”.

Dr Baratz posted a separate remark on Facebook under a screen grab of a TV interview with Daniella Weiss, a Jewish settler leader.

President Rivlin, disliked by Mr Netanyahu for his independent stances, was also targeted. “These postings were written hastily and sometimes humorously, in a manner appropriate for a private person writing on the Internet”, he said.

Social Equality Minister Gila Gamliel said the comments “undermine the symbols of our government and those of our greatest ally, and may be misconstrued as an official stance”, according to Haaretz newspaper.

President Barack Obama has determined Israeli and Palestinian leaders will make no significant progress toward peace by the time he leaves office in early 2017, according to White House officials.