The White House disputed reports administration officials rejected a meeting between President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later this month in New York City.
The Israeli paper Haaretz first reported Tuesday that the White House had declined to meet with Netanyahu. CNN reported later that Israeli sources says the White House rejected a meeting, even when Netanyahu offered to travel to Washington D.C., after his time in New York.
"The president arrives in New York for the U.N. on Monday, Sept. 24 and departs on Tuesday, Sept. 25," National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor said in a statement. "The prime minister doesn't arrive in New York until later in the week. They're simply not in the city at the same time. But thePresident and PM are in frequent contact and the PM will meet with other senior officials, including Sec. Clinton, during his visit."
Netanyahu is pushing for the administration to take a more confrontational stance on Iran, declaring Tuesday that Israel will not wait for the Obama administration to approve military action against Iran.
"The world tells Israel ‘wait, there’s still time.’ And I say, ‘Wait for what? Wait until when?’ Those in the international community who refuse to put red lines before Iran don’t have a moral right to place a red light before Israel," Netanyahu said Tuesday at a press conference.