Obama-Rivlin Meeting Derailed by Scheduling Conflict

While the tempest over the Netanyahu visit in March was still storming at full force on Sunday, word went out that Israeli President Reuven Rivlin would not be meeting with President Barack Obama during his visit to the U.S. this week.

Spokesmen for both sides laid the blame on irresolvable scheduling conflicts, unrelated to the Netanyahu trip.

“In recent weeks, there were contacts between relevant officials in Israel and the U.S., following a December request from President Rivlin, about the possibility of a meeting between President Obama and President Rivlin during his visit to New York for International Holocaust Remembrance Day at the U.N.,” National Security Council spokesperson Alistair Baskey explained. “Due to scheduling conflicts a meeting during this visit will not be possible.”

An aide in Rivlin’s office confirmed that the meeting could not be held for logistical reasons.

Rivlin is in New York at the invitation of U.N. Secretary-General Ban-Ki Moon. On Monday, they are to inaugurate a Yad Vashem exhibition at the United Nations entitled, “Shoah: How was it humanly possible?”

On Tuesday, Rivlin is schedeuled to address the United Nations on International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

This article appeared in print on page 6 of the January 26th, 2015 edition of Hamodia.