Some Warmth in Washington

Barack Obama and Benjamin Netanyahu were as warm as they could be with each other yesterday in Washington. The American president and the Israeli prime minister were looking for even the smallest of common denominators after months of tension over the nuclear agreement with Iran and the situation in the Middle East.

Last week, the White House recognized it no longer has any great hopes for peace in the Middle East between now and the end of Barack Obama’s term in January 2017. As for Benjamin Netanyahu, he has had to swallow a bitter pill with the Iranian nuclear agreement. But unlike his last visit to Washington in March, when he severely criticized the Obama administration’s policy on Tehran, the Israeli prime minister came with the intention of strengthening ties with the White House. In particular, he was aiming to get $50 billion worth of American military aid over 10 years.

It’s in Barack Obama’s interest to nurture his relationship with Benjamin Netanyahu, despite their profound ideological differences. The Democrats are hoping to keep the White House and win back a majority at the Senate in November 2016. However, in the presidential campaign, tensions with Israel are a formidable weapon for Republicans, who have relentlessly criticized Barack Obama’s foreign policy to weaken Hillary Clinton and erase memories of George W. Bush’s responsibility for the chaos in Iraq.

The Jewish American electorate will play a particularly important role in Florida, one of the key states on the road to the White House. In light of this, Barack Obama is preparing the way for Hillary Clinton. His former secretary of state, moreover, is distancing herself from him on the issue, and last week promised a little more warmth toward Israel if she is elected to the presidency.