A meeting of interests at the White House
Analysis: While Netanyahu wishes to add to his album a smiling picture with Obama to prove to his critics that he did not destroy Israel-US relations, the American president would like to show that his deep commitment to Israel does not depend on the prime minister's whims.
With a winner's generosity, after reaching a historical agreement with Iran, despite Netanyahu's noisy battle against the agreement and against Barack Obama himself, the American president invited the Israeli prime minister to a meeting which will likely be their last, and the most unnecessary meeting of all those they've had.
In the past, despite the disagreements and mutual loathing between the two officials, there was a certain shred of hope in the White House that an agreement between Israel and the Palestinians could be reached based on the two-state solution, thereby calming down the Middle East before it went up in flames.
The hope kindled mainly because Netanyahu had quite a few advocates, including former President Shimon Peres, who tried to convince Obama that he is about to be a exposed to a leader who is ready to make tough decisions, a leader who wants to go down in history as the person who signed a peace agreement of the brave. The White House realized too slowly that Netanyahu had blinded both them and his advocates: He had no intention of doing anything. He had 1,000 tricks to play for time and maintain his political survival.
Now the hope is dead, and Israel has become another problem in the global basket the world power must deal with. All of Obama's grandiose plans have been placed in a drawer, waiting for the next president. Monday's meeting will be polite, with manners dictated by protocol, but there will no longer be any false impression like in the past, when Obama met Netanyahu and wanted to preserve the hope, to guarantee that it could happen.
Obama won't really try to advance any peace plan, even if he occasionally throws in a word about the need to do so. He has given up, with a feeling of a missed opportunity and disappointment.
It shouldn’t have happened. In the Israeli-Palestinian conflict he had the most important asset required in a peace process: Momentum. He managed to bring Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to a point in which they were committed. Literally. But when he had to pressure them, to force and to strongly wave the stick with the carrot next to it, he got cold feet and said he couldn’t want the move more than those involved in it.
That was his biggest mistake: The president refused to impose forced peace, although he had more than enough in his diplomatic toolbox to bring about a solution.
The meeting at the Oval Office will mainly be a meeting of interests: Netanyahu wishes to add to his album a smiling picture with Obama in order to prove to his critics that he did not destroy the Israel-US relationship, even if he did crawl to the meeting after his failed battle against the Iran deal. Obama, on the other hand, would like to demonstrate that his commitment to Israel is deep and does not depend on the whims of one prime minister or another. It will also help his party in the presidential election.
Obama will publicize the security aid package he is giving Israel following the agreement with Iran. While the details have already been finalized on the professional ranks between the two countries, it's important for the president to have his name on this move.
Obama has another year in office. During this period, Israel will find itself even further away from the Washington heart, although the American pocket will remain open. Nonetheless, Obama could pound the table on Monday with all his might. The chance that he will actually do that is slim, and it's our loss.
