State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki was put on the defensive Monday over a Washington Free Beacon report that Middle East envoy Martin Indyk was overheard going on a "tirade" against Israel and blaming the Jewish state for the collapse of peace talks with the Palestinians.
The Free Beacon's Adam Kredo reported:
Middle East envoy Martin Indyk was overheard at an upscale Washington, D.C., bar bashing Israel and fully blaming it for the recent failure of peace talks with the Palestinians, according to an individual who overheard the conversation and described it as a surprising and "nasty" 30-minute-long tirade against the Jewish state.
Indyk—who has been identified by the Washington Free Beacon as the source of a recent series of anonymous quotes in the press condemning Israel—was caught openly lashing out at Israel over drinks with several members of his staff and wife, Gahl Burt.
The conversation took place in the hotel bar at the Ritz-Carlton on Thursday night, shortly after Indyk finished delivering remarks at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy’s (WINEP) annual gala.
"I will tell you that that report is categorically false and there's been no secret about what his position is on the unhelpful steps taken by both sides," Psaki said. "He's spoken publicly about them, and I would point people to that."
Psaki was pressed further by Associated Press reporter Matt Lee on the details, though, but she said she would "go into too much detail" and could only repeat "he did not have the conversation" outlined by the report.
"Do you know what about that report is categorically false?" Lee asked. "Could he -- he wasn't in the bar or he didn't have a -- what about it? He didn't say the things -- he was there but he didn't say what was attributed to him, or?"
"I'm not going to go into too much detail other than to say that he had a busy schedule that day," Psaki replied flatly. "He arrived for just a few minutes and did not have the conversation that was outlined in the news report."
LEE: OK. But he was there. I mean, he gave a speech there, right? I mean, not in the bar, but he did give -- he did give a talk --
PSAKI: He did not have the conversation that was outlined in the report.
Psaki then moved on to other questions.
Full exchange:
Q: On a related note, there are -- the Israeli are quite critical of this envoy, Martin Indyk, accusing them of all kinds of things, least of all that he's placing all the blame on the Israelis. Do you have any comment on that?
JEN PSAKI: I would point you to Ambassador Indyk's speech just last week, where he made clear that both sides had taken unhelpful steps. That's his view, that's the secretary's view, and I think he's stated it pretty clearly in public.
Q: I understand, but thereafter there were accusations that -- in a private gathering or in a bar -- wasn't a bar -- a restaurant he was telling his staff more vocally or more clearly that Israel bears the blame. Are you willing to -- (inaudible).
PSAKI: I will tell you that that is -- report is categorically false and there's been no secret about what his position is on the unhelpful steps taken by both sides. He's spoken publicly about them, and I would point people to that.
MATT LEE: Do you know what about that report is categorically false? Could he -- he wasn't in the bar or he didn't have a -- what about it? He didn't say the things -- he was there but he didn't say what was attributed to him, or?
PSAKI: I'm not going to go into too much detail other than to say that he had a busy schedule that day. He was -- arrived for just a few minutes and did not have the conversation that was outlined in the news report.
LEE: OK. But he was there. I mean, he gave a speech there, right? I mean, not in the bar, but he did give -- he did give a talk --
PSAKI: He did not have the conversation that was outlined in the report.