WASHINGTON (AP) — As friction between the United States and Israel grows over Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, a U.S. State Department spokeswoman used some less-than-diplomatic language in response to an Israeli media report.
Spokeswoman Marie Harf used the phrase “complete crap” more than once to describe the report concerning a supposed transcript of a telephone conversation last weekend between President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Both the Israeli government and the Obama administration have vigorously denied the authenticity of the transcript.
Harf sidestepped questions about who the U.S. held responsible for the report, but said it was clear the intention is to hurt the U.S.-Israeli relationship.
There has been a flurry of Israeli media reports this week that appeared aimed at discrediting President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry, who spent days trying to negotiate a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.
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