Obama: Israelis Mistrust Me Because My Name is Hussein

In an exclusive interview with Israel's Channel Two, U.S. President Barack Obama was asked why he thinks Israelis mistrust him. "Some of it may just be the fact that my middle name is Hussein, he told interviewer Yonit Levy, "and that creates suspicion. Some of it may have to do with the fact that I have actively reached out to the Muslim community, and I think that sometimes, particularly in the Middle East, there's the feeling of the friend of my enemy must be my enemy.

Levy interviewed Obama shortly after Obama met with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu last week in a meeting both sides described as "successful.

The Zionist Organization of American (ZOA) said that Obama ignored the fundamental reason why Israelis mistrust him – namely, his anti-Israel policies.