GOP leadership slams Obama stance on Israel

House Minority Leader John Boehner issued a statement Monday criticizing the Obama Administration's "escalated rhetoric" toward the Middle Eastern nation.

The attack came after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a list of demands to Israel in hopes of restoring diplomatic relations between the two countries.

"The administration has demonstrated a repeated pattern since it took office: while it makes concessions to countries acting contrary to U.S. national interests," Boehner (R-Ohio) said in his statement. "It ignores or snubs the commitments, shared values and sacrifices of many of our country’s best allies."

Boehner argued that the President should be more concerned with the behavior of Iran rather than Israel.
 
Clinton took issue with Israel's announcement that it would expand a Jewish neighborhood in East Jerusalem, which was made during Vice President Joe Biden's visit last week.

House Minority Whip Eric Cantor, the House's only Jewish Republican, echoed Boehner, saying "To say that I am deeply concerned with the irresponsible comments that the White House, Vice President, and the Secretary of State have made against Israel is an understatement."

Israel's ambassador to the United States Michael Oren has said that relations between the two countries face their worst crisis since 1975, when America demanded Israel partially withdraw from the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt .

Oren made the comments to Israeli consuls general in a conference call Saturday.

American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a major lobbying group, has also issued a statement critical of the administration's response to the recent incident.

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