Netanyahu: I'm Not Backing Romney

Source: abc news

Despite close personal ties to Mitt Romney and recent comments suggesting he was unhappy with the Obama administration's Iran policy, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly promised the Obama camp he has no plans to "interfere" with the campaign before Election Day.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Netanyahu sent his defense minister, Ehud Barak, to deliver a goodwill message to Chicago mayor and former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel on Thursday afternoon.

An aide to Israeli leader said "no comment" when questioned about nature of the meeting and a spokeswoman for Emanuel would only confirm that Barak met with the Chicago mayor Thursday afternoon.

This marks the second time in six days the Israeli leader has sought, either personally or through back channels -- Barak and Emanuel are friends -- to distance himself from the perception he is agitating for the president's defeat in November. Asked by Meet The Press moderator David Gregory on Sunday if he thought "Governor Mitt Romney as President Romney make Israel safer," Netanyahu demurred.

"I'm not going to be drawn into the American election. And what's guiding my statements is not the American political calendar, but the Iranian nuclear calendar," the Israeli leader replied. "I'm talking to . I just talked to him the other day. We are in close consultation. We're trying to prevent that. It's really not a partisan issue. It's a policy issue, not a partisan issue."

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/netanyahu-obama-backing-romney/story?id=17289324