Obama speaks at the UN Tuesday morning, will address the Clinton Global initiative in the afternoon, and then return to Washington and the campaign. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not arrive in New York until Thursday because of the Yom Kippur holiday. That explains why the two leaders won’t meet in New York, according to the White House.
The real reason seems to lie elsewhere: Mr. Netanyahu had circulated his intention to press Obama to commit to setting “red lines” for Iran’s nuclear program that, once crossed by Tehran, would trigger US military action. But Obama, who wants to give diplomacy more time and who believes that setting automatic triggers on Iran at this point would be counterproductive, wanted to avoid being painted into a corner by the Israeli leader. Netanyahu is expected to meet with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton instead, so watch for signs of any tension.
