BIBI WATCH: Obama Says Netanyahu Speech Not ‘Permanently Destructive’

United States President Barack Obama speaks at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to highlight steps by his Administration and the private sector to improve security with more secure technologies that better se... United States President Barack Obama speaks at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to highlight steps by his Administration and the private sector to improve security with more secure technologies that better secure transactions and safeguard sensitive data, Friday, October 17, 2014 in Washington, DC. Credit: Olivier Douliery / Pool via CNP - NO WIRE SERVICE - Photo by: Olivier Douliery/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images MORE LESS
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President Obama on Monday said that the controversy surrounding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress is a distraction, but will not hurt the United States’ relationship with Israel in the long run.

“I don’t think it’s permanently destructive. I think that it is a distraction from what should be our focus,” Obama told Reuters in a Monday interview.

He noted that there’s “substantial disagreement” between the U.S. and Israeli governments over Iran’s nuclear program, the subject of Netanyahu’s speech.

Obama reiterated that he will not meet with Netanyahu during his visit to the U.S. due to the upcoming Israeli elections, and that he would meet with the prime minister after the March 17 election.

“This is not a personal issue. I think that it is important for every country in its relationship with the United States to recognize that the U.S. has a process of making policy,” Obama said.

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