Is it ok for President Sarkozy to be blunt about how he views Benjamin Netanyahu?

It’s just one person. Why would the view of one person reflect the view towards an entire group of people? Well, I guess no one rational would think that way.

Even though it was inappropriate for such public figures, they’re still human.

I’m unaware of anything Netanyahu has done so I can’t comment on the validity of their comments.

It was inappropriate but I took it to be on a personal level, not an indictment of an entire nation.

I thought he was just expressing his freedom of speech and being honest but it has turned out to be fodder for US 2012 election. Others now view the exchange as anti-Israel rant and what it could mean to the peace process and God only knows, depends on what side of divide one is.

Actually, I think it’d be refreshing to have more public blunt (honest) opinion statements. I don’t really follow Sarkozy so I don’t know enough to say whether it was a comment reflective of a targeted opinion or carries broader weight.

I wonder if Sarkozy knew someone else would hear what he said other than Obama, he would still have used the word “liar” to describe Netanyahu. Politicians are also diplomats and world leaders are politicians who rose to their exalted positions because they are astute in the arena of diplomacy, imo. Sarkozy is entitled to be blunt, but to be careless? Well, maybe not that much.

It wasn’t a public comment. They sounded like personal feelings about another person. France has made comments to clarify their status with Israel. (Funny, I just now read this.)

Can you dislike Sarkozy for being pompous and still enjoy traveling to France?

Disliking a country’s leader is not the same as hating the country. Anyone who doesn’t understand that shouldn’t be allowed to vote.

I wish all diplomats were that blunt. I like Israel and wish the country well but cannot understand the uncritical support our country provides. Sure they’re our only friend in the region but we are their only reliable friend and we have the right to demand that they stop building settlments and supporting their fundamentalist Jewish population. They are a drain on the country. They expect government support for their huge families and do no real work. Screw em!

@Ron_C I wonder if your comments about Israel would be construed as anti-Semitic or a legitimate critique of Israel. I tuned in rather late at an NPR program tackling this issue about the difference between anti-Semitism and just criticism of their policies. ( Maybe I’ll post a question…)

@mazingerz88 “I wonder if your comments about Israel would be construed as anti-Semitic or a legitimate critique of Israel.” See, that’s exactly what I mean. If someone critizes Israel’s government they are immediately considered to be anti-Semitic. I will tell you catagorically that I am not anti-Semitic. What I object to is the religious idea that we owe something to Israel becaue it will be the place where the anti-Christ returns in preparation for the return of Christ. The fundamentalists of both our country thing that there is something sacred about the land and the people. Except that it is still one of the rational governments in the whole area, there is nothing to recommend it. The fact that an entire religion was kicked out of Europe and encouraged to leave the U.S. and forced out of the U.S.S.R. and dumped on a sparcely populated area in the middle east does not make it sacred. The fact that the people displaced were displaced by the U.S, and U.K. to help control oil resources does not make it sacred.

The fact that most of the population is secular and does not want to be a damper for Arab rage gives the country legitimacy. I can’t stand fundamentalists, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Wiccan, whatever. Religion and racism have no business in government and their government is certainly racist which is ironic because the Palestinians are the same race as the Israelis.

Netanyahu is a racist and ultra right nut, he was the last time he was prime minister too. He is a liar, he promised to stop the settlements then insulted the presiden, screw him too.