American actor Rob Lowe has lashed out at US President Barack Obama, mocking him on Twitter for agreeing to meet with a YouTube star but not Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Lowe, perhaps best known for his role as Deputy White House Communications Director Sam Seaborn on American Presidential TV drama The West Wing, tweeted, “Hold up. Is it true that a woman who eats cereal out of a bathtub gets to meet with the President and the Prime Minister of Isreal does not?”
He later corrected his misspelling of the word “Israel” and added, “For those who aren’t up to speed, here is the woman who had an official meeting with POTUS yesterday,” alongside a screen capture of comedian and YouTube star GloZell Green eating Froot Loops and milk out of the bathtub in which she is kneeling, face-first.
Last week, the White House responded angrily at Netanyahu’s acceptance of an invitation to address US Congress which officials called “a breach of protocol”. Both Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry made it clear they would not see Netanyahu when he arrives for the appearance in March, claiming it is “long-standing policy” not to meet with heads of state that close to an election.
Meanwhile, however, in an attempt to appeal to younger audiences and potential voters, Obama invited three YouTube stars, including GloZell, to the White House. The three interviewed the President, asking questions submitted by their combined millions of subscribers, on topics such as Obama’s Cuba policy, same-sex marriage and the economy.
The interview took place Thursday, the same day it was announced Obama would not meet with Netanyahu. The Jerusalem Post called the snub “one of the most serious crises” in Netanyahu’s fractured relationship with Obama.