Rows and arguments require at least two parties . While us /israeli relations should be nurtured ,I am a cynic .Few things last forever ,certainly not most marriages ,nor careers nor most things .Only Dr. Martens Boots last forever.

PM Netanyahu is talking to US Jewry and conservative Americans because he has given up on the Obama administration. Israel's survival is at stake here and it sounds desperate because it is.

...is a noble and just cause. The only problem is that Netanyahu is in the forefront leading it. It's a little bit like having Ariel Castro leading the hunt for Charles Manson, while saying "Whatever's going on in my Cleveland basement is no one else's concern. Just let me do WHATEVER I want with WHOMEVER I want down there. Hey, I'm trying tocatch a serial killer here, give me a break". Manson is Teheran and the Cleveland basement is the West Bank, get it???

The deal with Iran being temporarily halted by the French has nothing to do with settlements or Netanyahu. It is perfectly consistent with Obama’s approach to foreign policy: reduce America’s footprint, power and influence abroad and avoid conflict at any cost. But you knew that already – you just couldn’t resist another excuse to bash the man who failed to appoint you as UN ambassador.

Thank you for this interesting and refreshing viewpoint. Mr .Pinkas makes some very valid observations. I agree ,the relations between Israel and the US administration should have been more carefully handled . There have been unnecessary rows. Netanyahu has indeed made some serious mistakes with his clumsy approach ,with cheap and meaningless slogans added for media consumption . However ,it is always easy to criticize from the sidelines . When one sits in Prime Minister Netanyahus' chair ,or President Obamas' chair ,things aint so easy , nor look so easy . We need to cut them some slack . After all ,we are all human and we all make mistakes. Israel and us relations should be appreciated and nurtured .

Mutual respect ,not a master /slave relationship is what Israel /Us relations should be. We have the right to build on our land.If that upsets some folk ,well that is unfortunate.

Bibi. Speaks the truth. World is sick of Kerry administration triple meaning statements. We will protect. We love you. Your interests are ours...... Look at the Cuban missile crisis. Russia wanted missiles pointing to the US. Almost started WW3. Israel has 20,000 missiles facing from Lebanon. All supplied from where. IRAN. One day you can ask your PM forgiveness.

Obama is Israels enemy !

How does the author know that quiet, behind-the-scenes diplomacy isn't happening? Presumably it is, and Netanyahu has been making the public statements because private dialog with the Obama administration hasn't been working.

pinkius, beilin, ben ami, haber all the same weaklings. Here we have a US asskisser like olmert and livni and bibi somethings need to be said directly since bibi has been forced to make concessions on prisoners in return for a strong position against iran which is not happening. somethings have to be said directly and its about time. Also kerry like brzezinski is trying to jam 67 borders down israel's throat. Tellling him is blind and stupid publically is good so hopefully he'll get themessage and not return.

Any one can criticize but the issue of Nuclear Iran has been put on the forefront by PM Netanyahoo. The fact that President Obama cant bury Israel is partly due to Netanyahoos out maneuvering Obama. Lets make no mistake who obama is he attended lectures or Rev Wright an anti semite who spewed hate and lies against Israel. I hope Israel stays strong and does not bend regarding security with the palestinians which will be mush harsher threat than the iranians.

Believing a democracy can achieve a reliable & lasting deal with a dictatorship is utter nonsense. Especially with a fanatical religious dictatorship, especially a deal that is not close to total capitulation. There is no agreement possible based on true, reliable concessions which would inevitably endanger the survival of the dictatorship, a risk the despotic regime cannot take for internal reasons since it must rely on the deterrence of visible power & violence , not the appearance of weakness & meekness of compromises. The western countries led by a US (tired of wars & beset with severe internal economic problems) are willing to kick the can down the road for their own short term objectives. Israel (but not the western countries) whose survival has been openly threatened by Iran & whose borders are much closer to Iran than Europe & the US, cannot take even short term risks of letting the point of no return take place in the Iranian race to become a nuclear power. So Netanyhu is right in strongly opposing a dangerous & meaningless partial deal even if he seems predisposed to do it in awkward moves. He cannot trust the western countries to put Israel's interest before their own economic, business & political interests. Like Arab leaders he is alerted by the oscillations of foreign policy makers in Washington regarding Syria, Egypt & Saudi Arabia & may see these oscillations as a bad omen regarding negociations with Iran.

I wonder how would Washington, europe union and arab countries would define whatever if Avigdor Lieberman became Israel Prime Minister...

This piece isasutopian as the Oslo Accord.... I wonder if Mr. Pinkas was N. Chamberlain adviser in 1938...... Pathetic.....

pointless attack at someone, who is making a positive difference to the Jewish People: namely Mr.Bibi N. Unfortunately there are still many Israelis buying these Leftist lies.

My G-D! This is pure rubbish. I may print it out just so I can wrap spoiled fish in it!

You could not make it up; so when an individual is right and has a moral duty to his/her constituency to say it as it is, then that is wrong. If you ask me Pinkus has been a diplomat too long and does not now know integrity if it bit him on the nose. ( I was going to use the other usual word but the adjudicator would have not allowed it, the sensitive souls that they are).

Israel. Israel has been a pain in the butt since 1948.

But you can't take the ghetto out of the Jew! The author has the heart of a ghetto Jew because he says that Bibi should be deferential, even if he is right. He should treat Obama as his superior. No! Bibi is the head of state of a sovereign country. We hold our head up, and we are no one's inferior. We will survive and prosper by courage, and we will die by cowardice. A lesson lost on the author.

hat pray tell would Bibi have gotten had he kissed Obama's arse- a lower rope to lynch with

He's a fool, he has no tact, a full-blown demagogue. Basically he's an embarrassment. He's done enormous damage to Israel's cause in the otherwise pro-Israel US. When will the Israeli public ever wake up to the full harm it's leaders are doing to the nation's interests? Alon Pinkas is right on target.

Netanyahu has nothing to apologize for, period. The Jewish people are a small fraction of the world's population (though large in impact) and as Jews we should be grateful our people have a modern nation-state Israel, and not in the same position as pre-1948 Nazi Germany, 1492 Spain, the Middle Ages, or 1191 York England. Grow a spine my fellow Jews.

How easy to be a reporter , and to tell The prime minister how he "should have acted". It is easy to be brave when you have no responsability,

Nethanjahu is just a sympton or the face of Israel's deep distrust towards Obama...just read some of the comments in Israeli talkback forums. It's scary. And personally I think something should be done about that. Nethanjahu made no secret of his preferrence of Romney...which was foolish and unstateman like. Now he goes directly and openly against the policy of the US and it is openly suggested Israel should work congress to get it's way...All quite open...this is not going to enhance Israel's standing with the White House. Quiet but persistent diplomacy had always been the wiser option instead of ratching up cheap sentiments but I doubt that's a lesson Nethanjahu or his government are able to comprehend...let alone his new/old foreign minister Lieberman