Obama’s Handshake With Castro Recalls an Apology by Netanyahu

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

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“Nauseating” is the word that was used by Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen to describe the spectacle of the President of the United States shaking hands with the Cuban communist Raul Castro. It happened at the funeral of Nelson Mandela and the handshake was caught on camera by numerous photographers. It caused widespread outrage here, which Jon Stewart of the Daily Show mocked on the air, pleading, “Can someone bring some perspective to this?”

I would recommend he consult Benjamin Netanyahu. The prime minister, normally a savvy sort, blundered badly several years ago, after one of America’s most famous reporters, Jeffrey Goldberg, writing for the Atlantic magazine, scored a rare interview with Raul Castro’s brother, Fidel. Goldberg managed to get the long-time dictator to claim he believes Israel has a right to exist as a Jewish state. “Yes, without a doubt,” Goldberg quoted him as responding. . . .

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NY Sun
NEW YORK SUN CONTRIBUTOR

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.


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