Friday September 14, 2012

I've Been Thinking:

It is the public tension that has emerged between Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and US President Barack Obama that grabs media attention while important and successful exchanges go mostly unnoticed.

On Wednesday, the day it was announced that President Obama would tape David Letterman at the very time the Israeli prime minister requested to meet with him, Obama and Netanyahu spoke on the phone for an hour. They spoke about the Iranian threat, they updated one another and they discussed the various options on the table.

Most importantly, they decided to be back in touch and to inform each other of further updates.

It is clear that Obama and Netanyahu do not have good chemistry - but at this level of leadership it is diplomacy rather than chemistry that takes precedence.

In a veiled apology to Israel the US president sent out his traditional Jewish High Holiday blessing yesterday. Obama mentioned reconciliation and spoke of reaching out to right wrongs. "We're called to seek each other out and make amends for those moments when we may not have lived up to our values as well as we should."

To some, this message will sound sincere, others will hear it as patronizing. Listening to the New Year greeting, I cast my vote for sincere.

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