Sarkozy to Obama: I'm fed up with Netanyahu

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and President Obama walk together during arrivals for the G20 summit in Cannes, France, Nov. 3, 2011.

/ AP

President Obama and his French counterpart, Nicolas Sarkozy, were reportedly caught in a candid moment expressing their exasperation with Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu - with the French president referring to him as a "liar".

The remarks were part of what the American and French leaders believed to be a private chat after a news conference in Cannes last week, during the G20 economic conference. The pair were still wearing microphones, and some journalists who still had their headphones on for translation caught the remarks, which were first reported by the French photo agency Arret Sur Images.

A Reuters news agency reporter who was also present has since confirmed the exchange.

As the two leaders discussion turns to Israel and the Palestinians, Sarkozy is first to express his distaste for the conservative Israeli Prime Minister.

"I cannot bear Netanyahu, he's a liar," the French president was heard to say.

In response, according to the account by Arret Sur Images, Mr. Obama sympathizes with Sarkozy's frustration, saying, "you're fed up, but I have to deal with him every day."

There is no immediate indication as to whether a recording of the private conversation exists.

Arret Sur says all the reporters present in Cannes who were privy to the exchange agreed not to publish details.

It is unclear why Arret Sur decided to go public with the details late on Monday, days after Mr. Obama returned to Washington, or whether they were among the French organizations which agreed to the alleged no-report pact at the time.

The White House, when asked about the exchange by CBS News, would not comment.

Both France and the U.S. are urging Israel and the Palestinians to relaunch negotiations on a final peace agreement.

The initial topic of discussion which led Sarkozy and Mr. Obama to their apparent Netanyahu-bashing was France's support of the Palestinian's bid for membership in the United Nations cultural agency, UNESCO.

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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas sought unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state at the United Nations several weeks ago - first by the powerful U.N. Security Council, and then, when that failed, by UNESCO.

The United States has vowed to veto a statehood bid in the Security Council, and France likewise says it would not back the move, but Paris did vote in favor of UNESCO membership - a move which irked Washington.

[Romykom]

Any opinion against Israel that doesn't sanctify it is deemed antisemitic. People forget that even in Israel some do not agree with Netanyahu. This approach makes any politician either to shut up, follow the trend for fear of being labelled or run the risk of being called antisemitic. Where is the principle of fairness and equality then. One wonders.

[iQuanah]

Welcome to a handful of "Who cares?" If I got a vote every time ANY sitting President made a statement no one should have heard I would be President by now. I find it entertaining the list of fatalists on here who think this was a major blunder. Wake up and smell the sunrise. It's already a new day somewhere in the world and most people won't care past today. The fact that Bachmann is calling him out is laughable. She'll do anything at this point to gain favor over Romney. This won't do it. It's press for her for the 5 minutes this news story lasts.

[igorpdx]

Being against the right wing warmonger Benjamin Netanyahu is not being "anti-semitic." Being against Zionism is not being "anti-semitic." After all many Jews can't stand Netanyahu and that doesn't make them "anti-semitic," just as being against President Obama does not make one a "racist. I'm a friend of Israel but can't support the factions that keep the Palestinian people locked up in refugee camps. Their land was stolen from them because of our guilt at allowing the holcaust to occur. For every Israeli by the rockets killed there are four Palestinian people killed by the IDF in this unending tragedy.

[sleighpark]

1st Question: Perhaps land has never been acquired in any other way, but such naked theft has never been accompanied by more moralizing and appeal to the wishes of a fictitious being.


2nd Question: The land stolen by the US at the end of the Mexican-American War was largely vacant and no one was violently displaced. The rights of the Mexican inhabitants of the land were guaranteed under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The US paid Mexico for the land. The concepts of international law under which the entire world but Israel considers settlement of Occupied Territories illegal did not exist in 1848 (nor did missiles for that matter).

[Iconoblaster]

pneufeld1 thinks he knows the mind of God. But then, we can infer whence he got this notion.

[winemaster2]

Let alone the Sarko with whom his own French are are also fed up. He is not above lies himself. As far as Natanyahoo, the forked tongued Israeli conservative creep , the whole world is fed up with him along with majority of the Israeli people. The problem is the US Jewish Lobby and the corrupt US politicians mostly the conservative republicans that suck up to the yahoo, and in the process have this nation that is economic terror besieged, ideologically divided, polarized and set on a fast track of self destruction from within.

[stn_sage]

This article was a CROWD-PLEASER, CBS!
I just LOVE IT, when incompetent leaders start criticizing other
incompetent leaders, as if, whose doing the criticizing were
actually being good leaders!
Thanks for the laughs today, CBS!

[txgrl]

LOVE IT!!! It sucks how they both have to cow-tow to Israel but at least I know that they both know deep down what an ****** Netanyahu is. The Israeli people want peace and they want for this never ending war to be over. It is only because of warmongers like Netanyahu that it is still going on. Now he is trying to start a war with Iran too. I really hope Obama doesn't try to packpeddle on this though I'm pretty sure he will in order to keep the Jewish vote.

[vageorge]

You really are pitiful. Do you even read the news? They are firing missiles into Israel almost daily and you say the Israeli are warmongers? Israel has the military might to leave the Gaza strip in ashes at any time.

[shimloom]

And the PA has nothing to provoke Israel. Please get real!

[vageorge]

obama blew any chance of improving foreign affairs again..as usual. What a bozo. Thank God we only have 1 more year to put up with the embarrassment he causes our country

[catmomtx]

And how did he do that?

[jerryballew]

catmomtx: vageorge is in his own personal echo box without a grip on any reality. See how he makes stuff up out of nothing?

[seethelight]

Sarkozy is the who said something bad about Bibi, not Obama. Obama said nothing bad and he did not express agreememt with Sarkozy. Obama simple said he has to work with Bibi everyday, how can that be construed as saying something untoward?

[vageorge]

In response, according to the account by Arret Sur Images, Mr. Obama sympathizes with Sarkozy's frustration, saying, "you're fed up, but I have to deal with him every day." and you do not recognize that obama screwed up? Are you really that stupid or just a paid obama troll?

[catmomtx]

No, but I for one do recognize it as something else the Obama haters will seize on as a means to vilify the President.

[FreshxWater]

Everyone is FED UP with the Israeli butchers! Especially the 99% who see our tax dollars go to prop up those criminals!