A new report in The New Yorker claims that United States President Barak Obama’s transition team worked to persuade Israel to end its offensive in the Gaza Strip before Inauguration Day, despite pledges that as president-elect that he would not meddle in foreign affairs, according to Fox news. The article claims that Obama's team worked to persuade Israel to stop bombing Gaza and withdraw its ground troops.
The article also quoted a former intelligence official as saying former Vice President Dick Cheney started "getting messages from the Israelis about pressure from Obama" before January 20. In response, Cheney reportedly portrayed Obama as "pro-Palestinian" in conversations with the Israelis. Cheney's then-adviser on national security disputed the story, saying an alleged conversation about the issue between Cheney and national security adviser-to-be Jim Jones "never, ever happened." But he did not dispute the specific claim that the Obama transition team was involving itself in Israeli affairs.