Ran Baratz: Israel ‘to review’ scheduled time in excess of Facebook strip

“But obviously the decisions that [Netanyahu] has to make about who will serve his government and represent him and his country are decisions that he rightfully will make on his own”, Earnest told a news briefing. The Times of Israel relates that it began when Netanyahu, having been irritated by President Obama’s call for a two-state peace agreement based on the pre-1967 borders, choose to lecture the president publically about Middle East history during an Oval Office photo op.

USA state department spokesman John Kirby said Mr Baratz’s Facebook posts were “troubling and offensive”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit Washington next week and hold talks with President Barack Obama on the aid package.

The officials said Baratz and his statements had shifted focused away from the largely positive expectations in advance of Netanyahu’s meeting with President Obama in Washington on Monday.

“His comments were inappropriate and they do not reflect my position or the government’s policy”, Netanyahu said, adding that while he had not made a decision to overturn the appointment, he would review the appointment upon his return from Washington next week.

The Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, has come under fire for nominating a new spokesman, who has in the past derided Israel’s president, made sniping remarks about USA leaders and voiced support for Jewish extremists.

The Israeli Cabinet still needs to issue the final approval for Baratz’s appointment, and a few ministers have stated they plan to oppose it.

The admission comes at a time of soured relations between Mr Obama and Mr Netanyahu, who clashed bitterly in the spring over nuclear negotiations with Iran.

Following the backlash over his appointment, Baratz apologized for his comments about the officials on Facebook, calling them “hurtful” but written “sometimes jokingly”.

As head of public diplomacy and media, Mr Baratz, a 42-year-old philosophy lecturer, will be tasked with improving Israel’s reputation in the world.

“Allow me to be somewhat outspoken, contrary to my general moderate ways”, Baratz wrote in a Facebook post on March 3, the day of Netanyahu’s controversial speech to Congress about the deal being discussed between Iran and world powers. “I asked the prime minister for chance to clarify things with him in the coming days”.

Racism and incitement from both Palestinian and Israeli officials is unacceptable and must stop. While Netanyahu distanced himself from the comments, he indicated the appointment is still valid, however. Another spokesman deals with the foreign press.

A current agreement between the US and Israel, known as a memorandum of understanding, doesn’t expire until the 2018 fiscal year, after Obama is no longer president.

Baratz had described Obama actions as “modern anti-Semitism”, referred to Kerry as someone “whose mental age doesn’t exceed 12” and charged that President Reuven Rivlin is unworthy to hold office.