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White House Protests Saudi’s Denial of Visa to Journalist White House Protests Saudi’s Denial of Visa to Journalist
(35 minutes later)
WASHINGTON — The White House on Tuesday protested a decision by Saudi Arabia to deny a visa to a Washington-based reporter for an Israeli newspaper who planned to cover President Obama’s trip to the Arab kingdom this week.WASHINGTON — The White House on Tuesday protested a decision by Saudi Arabia to deny a visa to a Washington-based reporter for an Israeli newspaper who planned to cover President Obama’s trip to the Arab kingdom this week.
The reporter, Michael Wilner, the Washington bureau chief for The Jerusalem Post, was the only White House correspondent rejected by the Saudi government before Mr. Obama’s visit to Riyadh, the Saudi capital, on Friday and Saturday. The rejection of Mr. Wilner's visa added another point of tension to a trip already marked by friction over Syria, Iran and Israeli-Palestinian peace. The reporter, Michael Wilner, the Washington bureau chief for The Jerusalem Post, was the only White House correspondent rejected by the Saudi government before Mr. Obama’s visit to Riyadh, the Saudi capital, on Friday and Saturday. The rejection of Mr. Wilner’s visa added another point of tension to a trip already marked by friction over Syria, Iran and Israeli-Palestinian peace.
“We were very disappointed by the Saudi decision,” Benjamin J. Rhodes, a deputy national security adviser, told reporters aboard Air Force One. “We expressly reached out to the Saudi government through multiple channels when we became aware of this issue. We made it clear how important it was to us that this journalist, like any other journalist, have access to cover the president’s trip. And we’ll continue to raise our concerns with the Saudis about why this journalist was denied a visa and about our very strong objections to their decision.”“We were very disappointed by the Saudi decision,” Benjamin J. Rhodes, a deputy national security adviser, told reporters aboard Air Force One. “We expressly reached out to the Saudi government through multiple channels when we became aware of this issue. We made it clear how important it was to us that this journalist, like any other journalist, have access to cover the president’s trip. And we’ll continue to raise our concerns with the Saudis about why this journalist was denied a visa and about our very strong objections to their decision.”
Mr. Wilner, an American who has worked in Washington for the Jerusalem paper for a year, said he is Jewish but is not an Israeli and has never lived in Israel or pursued citizenship there.Mr. Wilner, an American who has worked in Washington for the Jerusalem paper for a year, said he is Jewish but is not an Israeli and has never lived in Israel or pursued citizenship there.
“The kingdom’s decision is a lost opportunity — not just for us and our readers, but for the Saudis,” Mr. Wilner said. “We all benefit from educated reporting. And U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East is a central pillar of our newspaper’s coverage. This trip was important to us.”“The kingdom’s decision is a lost opportunity — not just for us and our readers, but for the Saudis,” Mr. Wilner said. “We all benefit from educated reporting. And U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East is a central pillar of our newspaper’s coverage. This trip was important to us.”
The White House Correspondents’ Association, of which Mr. Wilner is an associate member, said in a statement that Israel’s action was “outrageous.” The White House Correspondents’ Association, of which Mr. Wilner is an associate member, said in a statement that Saudi Arabia’s action was “outrageous.”
“The denial is an affront not only to this journalist, but to the entire White House press corps and to the principle of freedom of the press that we hold so dear,” the statement said.“The denial is an affront not only to this journalist, but to the entire White House press corps and to the principle of freedom of the press that we hold so dear,” the statement said.
The Saudi Embassy in Washington was closed for the night when the White House sent out a transcript of Mr. Rhodes’s remarks, and no one answered the phone there or responded to an email request for comment.The Saudi Embassy in Washington was closed for the night when the White House sent out a transcript of Mr. Rhodes’s remarks, and no one answered the phone there or responded to an email request for comment.