Huckabee reportedly met Eisenkot before Israeli election; Netanyahu meeting cancelled
Israeli broadcaster KAN reported that US Ambassador Mike Huckabee met opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot to discuss the West Bank, settler violence and Gaza, while a planned meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu was cancelled. Coverage differs on who cancelled it and on how the meeting is framed ahead of the 27 October election.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Israel's public broadcaster KAN reported that US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee met Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yashar party and a former IDF chief of staff, to discuss security issues. The Jerusalem PostRC “US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee met with Yashar party chairman and former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot to discuss a myriad of security topics, KAN News reported on Wednesday.” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗ Anadolu AgencyN “US Ambassador Mike Huckabee held a secret meeting with an Israeli opposition leader just weeks before this month’s hard-fought Knesset elections” Read at Anadolu Agency ↗ Right · 1According to the reports, the talks covered tensions in the West Bank, settler violence and the situation in the Gaza Strip; The Jerusalem Post's source said the agenda included many other topics too. The Jerusalem PostRC “covered tensions in the West Bank, settler violence, and the situation in the Gaza Strip.”“The source also told the Post that the agenda included many other topics” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗ Mixed · 2The meeting was initially discreet. The Yashar party declined to comment, and, per Anadolu's account of the broadcaster's report, neither Huckabee nor Eisenkot's office issued an announcement; the broadcaster said it was their first and only meeting and did not say where or when it took place. The Jerusalem PostRC “the meeting was initially discreet, having only been publicized on Wednesday” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗ Anadolu AgencyN “was their first and only meeting. It did not disclose where or when it was held.” Read at Anadolu Agency ↗
Mixed · 2KAN also reported that a separate meeting between Huckabee and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was cancelled at the last minute and has not been rescheduled. The Jerusalem PostRC “a separate meeting between Huckabee and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was canceled at the last minute and has yet to be rescheduled” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗ Anadolu AgencyN “No new date has been set, it added.” Read at Anadolu Agency ↗ Mixed · 2The accounts differ on the cause: Anadolu says the broadcaster quoted a source claiming Netanyahu himself cancelled, without giving a reason, while The Jerusalem Post quotes Huckabee, via a KAN source, saying that meeting was not security-related, would be rescheduled when convenient, and was a 'very cordial social event with our wives'. Anadolu AgencyN “It quoted an informed source as claiming that Netanyahu was the one who canceled the meeting, without giving the reason.” Read at Anadolu Agency ↗ The Jerusalem PostRC “"Any suggestion that this is anything other than a very cordial social event with our wives would be ridiculous and patently false."” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗ Centre · 1Anadolu places the disclosures in the run-up to the 27 October Knesset election, noting that US President Donald Trump has not announced support for either Netanyahu or Eisenkot. Anadolu AgencyN “Yet Trump had not announced his support for either Netanyahu or Eisenkot in the upcoming elections.” Read at Anadolu Agency ↗
Centre · 1Anadolu also cites a Channel 12 poll giving the opposition bloc 67 seats against 49 for the governing coalition, Yashar 23 seats against 20 for Likud, and 45% preferring Eisenkot as prime minister against 35% for Netanyahu. Anadolu AgencyN “winning a possible 67 seats in the 120-member Knesset, compared with 49 for the governing coalition.”“Asked who would be a better prime minister, 45% favored Eisenkot, compared with 35% for Netanyahu.” Read at Anadolu Agency ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- Anadolu leads with a 'secret meeting' between the US ambassador and the opposition leader weeks before the election, placing it in the context of US positioning and Netanyahu's political and legal troubles.
- Emphasis
- Election timing, Netanyahu reportedly cancelling, polls showing the opposition ahead, Trump's neutrality, Netanyahu's corruption trial and ICC warrant.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not include Huckabee's quoted statement that the Netanyahu meeting was a social event.
- Charged language
- “secret meeting”“occupier violence”“Israel’s genocidal war”
- For example
-
“Secret meeting held between US ambassador, opposition leader ahead of Israeli elections: Report” — Anadolu Agency
“It quoted an informed source as claiming that Netanyahu was the one who canceled the meeting” — Anadolu Agency
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- The Jerusalem Post reports the meeting briefly as a security-focused discussion, and gives Huckabee's denial that the cancelled Netanyahu meeting was anything but social.
- Emphasis
- The security agenda and Huckabee's quote downplaying the Netanyahu cancellation.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention the election date, polls or who cancelled the Netanyahu meeting.
- Charged language
- “canceled at the last minute”
- For example
-
“"It will be rescheduled when the schedule is convenient," said Huckabee, according to the KAN source.” — The Jerusalem Post
“Separate Netanyahu-Huckabee meeting canceled at last minute” — The Jerusalem Post
What every side reports
- KAN reported that Huckabee met Gadi Eisenkot to discuss the West Bank, settler violence and Gaza.
- A planned Huckabee–Netanyahu meeting was cancelled at the last minute and not rescheduled.
- The Yashar party declined to comment.
Where accounts differ
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Why the Netanyahu meeting was cancelled
- Centre
- Anadolu: a source told the broadcaster Netanyahu cancelled it; no reason given.
- Right
- The Jerusalem Post: Huckabee said it was a non-security, cordial social event with wives and would be rescheduled; it does not say who cancelled.
Mike Huckabee person
Per a KAN source, Huckabee said the Netanyahu meeting would be rescheduled when convenient and called any other reading 'ridiculous and patently false'.
“"It will be rescheduled when the schedule is convenient," said Huckabee, according to the KAN source.” — The Jerusalem Post
Gadi Eisenkot person
Eisenkot's Yashar party declined to comment on the meeting.
“the Yashar party declined to comment on the meeting after KAN requested it” — The Jerusalem Post
Benjamin Netanyahu person
Netanyahu made no reported statement; Anadolu says a source claimed he cancelled the meeting with Huckabee.
“It quoted an informed source as claiming that Netanyahu was the one who canceled the meeting” — Anadolu Agency
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre1 article
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Secret meeting held between US ambassador, opposition leader ahead of Israeli elections: Report
Critical Presents the meeting as secret and politically charged ahead of the election, with critical background on Netanyahu.
Right1 article
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US Ambassador Mike Huckabee meets with Gadi Eisenkot over West Bank, Gaza, settler violence
Neutral Short factual report on the security-focused meeting, including Huckabee's rebuttal of any political reading of the cancelled Netanyahu meeting.
- 14 Oct 23:26 First The Jerusalem PostRC US Ambassador Mike Huckabee meets with Gadi Eisenkot over West Bank, Gaza, settler violence
- 15 Oct 12:19 +12h 53m Anadolu AgencyN Secret meeting held between US ambassador, opposition leader ahead of Israeli elections: Report
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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