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        Obama, Netanyahu Face Challenge of Improving Their Relationship

   by Michael Lipin

   The United States and Israel are close allies, but their leaders have
   had a rocky relationship over the past four years.
   The first major dispute between President Obama and Prime Minister
   Netanyahu began in Cairo in 2009.
   In a speech to the Arab world, Obama criticized Israel's policy of
   building Jewish homes on West Bank land the Palestinians want for a
   state.
   "The United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli
   settlements," Obama said.
   Days later, Netanyahu responded by saying Israel needs to let settlers
   "lead normal lives" - a euphemism for building more homes.
   In 2010, Israel approved new housing in Palestinian-claimed East
   Jerusalem as Vice President Joe Biden visited. Biden condemned the move
   at Obama's request.
   Netanyahu rejected that condemnation.  "Everyone knows that these
   neighborhoods will be part of Israel in any peace settlement,"
   Netanyahu said.
   When Prime Minister Netanyahu went to the White House the next day,
   President Obama appeared to snub him.  There was no official photo of
   their meeting.
   Aaron David Miller, of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for
   Scholars, says these incidents were signs of deteriorating relations.
   "This is the worst relationship between an American president and an
   Israeli prime minister in the history of the U.S.-Israeli relationship.
   Begin and Carter had tensions, Shamir and Bush 41 had tensions, but
   they found a way to work together. Obama and Netanyahu have not,"
   Miller said.
   Obama brought Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to the
   White House for peace talks in September 2010.
   But the initiative collapsed as Netanyahu ended a freeze on West Bank
   housing starts and Abbas protested by refusing further talks.
   More tension surfaced in July 2012 when Netanyahu greeted visiting
   Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, a critic of the Obama
   administration's policy on Israel.  Obama supporters accused the
   Israeli leader of taking sides in the U.S. election.
   Supporters of Netanyahu made the same accusation against the U.S.
   president prior to Israel's election in January.
   After Netanyahu was asked to form a ruling coalition, Obama agreed to
   make his first presidential visit to Israel.
   Miller says despite differences between the two leaders, the
   U.S.-Israel alliance has not weakened.
   "It doesn't really matter what happens on top. The security cooperation
   continues to improve. The institutional ties deepen," Miller said.
   Obama has accepted Netanyahu's invitation to dinner in Jerusalem, where
   the world will be watching to see if the two men can move closer to
   achieving peace in the Middle East.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/obama-netanyahu-israel/1621153.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/obama-netanyahu-israel/1621153.html