'I'm the closest thing to a Jew that has ever sat in this office' President Barack Obama makes odd claims as Iran nuclear deal reaches deadline

President Obama has been diligently working toward making a deal with Iran that would lift sanctions on the hardline regime if Iran guarantees it will not develop nuclear weapons for 10 years, despite negative feedback from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and United States Congress members.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - As the June 30 deadline for a formal accord approaches, David Axelord, one of Obama's most senior advisers came out with how the president has told him, "I'm the closest thing to a Jew that has ever sat in this office. For people to say that I am anti-Israel, or, even worse, anti-Semitic, it hurts," according to news site JPUpdates.com.

The president has no known Jewish ancestry. However, First Lady Michelle's great-grandparents had the Jewish last name, Cohen. But as they were born into slavery, it is possible the name links to slave owners Cohen in South Carolina, who were descendents of the first chief rabbi of Charleston, Moises Cohen. Many African-American slaves were given the name of their owners.

According to White House Press Secretary, Josh Earnest, "the president does feel a 'kinship' with the country (Israel), though, because the U.S. and Israel have similar values."

Axelord's claim was revealed hours before Channel 2 had their own interview with Obama on his difficult relationship with Netanyahu.

Netanyahu has been openly critical over the negotiations, peaking in an "ugly public stand off when Netanyahu came to Washington, D.C. to beg the U.S. Congress not to enter into an agreement with Iran over its nuclear program," according to the Daily Mail.

According to Obama, he and Netanyahu have "good conversations."

"They're tough, they're forceful, we disagree, but I enjoy jousting with him, I do," he stated suggesting the discord between the two has been largely exaggerated and made out to be "personal" in the media because it makes for a better story.

Netanyahu has expressed time and time again that Iran cannot be trusted. Obama continues to work toward finalizing the deal. 

"We shouldn't assume that we can perpetuate the sanctions forever anyway," explained Obama in his Channel 2 interview. "There's a shelf life on the sanctions, because the reason the international community agreed was to get to the table to deal with the nuclear issue, not to deal with all of these other issues. So we will get a diminishing return just on maintaining sanctions."

According to Obama, the government of Iran is experiencing an "enormous political pressure" to make a deal to boosts the country's falling economy.

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