Netanyahu disavows relative's remarks labelling Obama 'anti-Semitic'

WASHINGTON — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was compelled Wednesday to publicly express his "deep appreciation" for President Barack Obama after a prominent member of his family alleged the American leader was an "anti-Semite."

Netanyahu disavowed remarks made by his brother-in-law Hagi Ben Artzi, a right-wing ultranationalist, that have complicated efforts to end an extraordinary public feud between the governments of Israel and the United States.

But it remained unclear late Wednesday whether the Israeli leader had made any concessions to the Obama administration on the substance of the diplomatic row triggered by Israel's decision last week to approve 1,600 Jewish housing units in predominantly-Arab East Jerusalem.

"I have a deep appreciation for President Obama's commitment to Israel's security, which he has expressed many times," Netanyahu said in a statement issued by his office.

Netanyahu was responding to an interview that his wife's brother gave Wednesday to Army Radio in Israel.

Ben Artzi, who has a history of making controversial remarks, told an interviewer that Obama is not a friend of Netanyahu. He said "Jerusalem is the Israeli people's capital" and it was imperative Israel not abandon its "deep interests" in pursuit of a peace deal with the Palestinians.

"It must be stated clearly and simply. Unfortunately, there is an anti-Semitic president in America," Ben Artzi said. "As a politician, who ran for presidency, he had to hide it, but from time to time, it bursts out from inside."

Netanyahu said he "totally disagrees" with his brother-in-law's view of Obama.

The Israeli leader has been trying to lower tensions after the U.S. complained it was insulted that Israel would announce an East Jerusalem housing project while Vice-President Joe Biden was visiting the Middle East last week.

Michael Oren, Israel's ambassador to the U.S., on Wednesday denied he said relations between the two countries were in a "crisis of historic proportions" — remarks widely attributed to him earlier this week by the Israeli media.

"I was flagrantly misquoted about remarks I made in a confidential briefing this past Saturday," Oren said. "Recent events do not — I repeat — do not represent the lowest point in the relations between Israel and the United States."

Israel also lifted its five-day closure of the West Bank to Palestinians as violence that erupted earlier this week subsided on Wednesday.

Netanyahu, who had already publicly apologized for the timing of the East Jerusalem housing announcement, telephoned Biden again on Tuesday. Still, the fallout from the Israeli move continues.

While Netanyahu reached out to Biden, he has so far snubbed U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Clinton is still awaiting a call from Netanyahu to three demands she wants from Israel to demonstrate its "commitment" to peace in the wake of the East Jerusalem announcement.

In addition to demanding Israel drop the housing plan, the U.S. is reportedly asking Netanyahu to make a major gesture to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and agree to include all core issues — including Jerusalem's final status — in future talks.

Palestinians want East Jerusalem, which was annexed by Israel following the 1967 war, to become their capital as part of a 'two-state solution' to long-standing hostilities.

"We're still looking forward to a response (from Netanyahu). It hasn't happened yet. Hasn't been a call yet," said State Department spokesman Mark Toner.

Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman said the U.S. demand to "forbid Jews from building in East Jerusalem is totally unreasonable."

Clinton arrives Thursday in Moscow for a meeting among negotiators with the Middle East quartet, which includes Russia, the European Union, the United Nations and the U.S.

The comments by Netanyahu's brother-in-law drew widespread media attention throughout Israel.

Ben Artzi referred to Obama's past association with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the president's former pastor in Chicago, "who is anti-Semitic, anti-Jewish and anti-Israeli."

In a separate interview with the Jerusalem Post, Ben Artzi said American Jews who voted for Obama are "indifferent" to Israel.

"We must face the reality that not only is the American government not with us, but so are most of the Jews in America," he told the newspaper.