During his March trip to Israel, US President Barack Obama was greeted warmly by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But for all the public display of amity and understanding, the visit was for each leader a tentative embrace. It is bad policy to be complacent about the policies of a superpower, especially one headed by a newly re-elected, second-term president. However difficult it is for some to believe, Netanyahu is worried about a new Obama plan for peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
There is, however, every reason for the Israeli leader to feel confident about the limits of a US initiative. During the president's first term, Netanyahu successfully deflected Obama's signature call for a settlement freeze and withstood half-hearted American efforts to reinvigorate diplomacy with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
