> Mr. Netanyahu had denounced Mr. Richard’s statement as “miserable” and rejected his initial offer to apologize to Israel’s ambassador to France, insisting he

> Mr. Netanyahu had denounced Mr. Richard’s statement as “miserable” and rejected his initial offer to apologize to Israel’s ambassador to France, insisting he instead come to Israel, where the two men stood Friday morning in front of four Israeli flags. Strong showing of deference here. Regarding politicians' and companies' desire to keep Israel happy: is Israel that big of a market? Or is it more of a fear of backlash from Israel-supporters throughout the world (especially strong in US conservatives)?