Israel Matzav: Jones claims Netanyahu canceled because of... Holocaust Day?

Jones claims Netanyahu canceled because of... Holocaust Day?

In a press briefing on the Thursday night flight from Prague back to Washington, National Security Adviser James Jones told reporters that Prime Minister Netanyahu had canceled his participation in President Obama's nuclear disarmament conference because of... Holocaust Day.

Jones said Obama understood Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to cancel plans to attend the Nuclear Security Summit the Obama administration is hosting next week. The Israeli government said Netanyahu cancelled after receiving reports that Egypt and Turkey had planned to grand-stand at the nuclear summit about Israel's undeclared nuclear weapons and its failure to join the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT).

"In the case of the Prime Minister’s decision, he [Obama] understands that their Holocaust Day events were going to make it difficult for the Prime Minister to be in two places at once," Jones said. "We obviously would like to have had the Prime Minister, but the Deputy Prime Minister [Dan Meridor] will be leading the delegation and there will be a robust Israeli delegation. And we’ll still have a great conference, but he understands the reasons why."

"I think that the Israelis did not want to be a catalyst for changing the theme of the summit, and I think that they will be at the table," Jones added. "The Prime Minister will be in Israel, but he is committed to the theme of the summit and the President's initiatives on proliferation and counter-proliferation and the spread of nuclear weapons."

"So, again, we’ll be sorry that the Prime Minister can't be there, but we’re delighted that we’ll have a very, very [good] Israeli delegation," Jones said.

U.S.-Israeli relations are "fine," the former Marine Corps general said.

Great job of facing up to reality, Jim. I haven't seen Netanyahu's cancellation reported that way anywhere in the Israeli media, and I don't think anyone in Israel would have thought twice if Netanyahu were not here on Sunday night and Monday.

Israel Matzav: Jones claims Netanyahu canceled because of... Holocaust Day?