Welcome to Israel, Mr. President. Better late than never. You’re coming at the start of your second term and Benjamin Netantyahu’s third term (provided he succeeds in cobbling together a government). This is the term that will define what you did, what you achieved, what you left behind — for both of you. I took a glimpse at your anticipated schedule, Mr. President, and frankly, I felt a tad uncomfortable. I feel your pain. The plans for your trip to the Holy Land include a visit to tombs, monuments, and other gloomy sites. It’s an ascetic’s pilgrimage, lacking any inspiration or sunlight.

The problem isn’t you. It’s us. That’s how we welcome everyone here. We get them to sign in at Yad Vashem [the Holocaust Museum] and make sure not to skip a visit to Mount Herzl national cemetery, before whisking them off to see the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Eternal Flame. Two thousand years of Jewish suffering in exile are dropped on the drooping shoulders of our guests. It always ends with a bad case of the doldrums, with feelings of guilt and pangs of conscience. And there is always that same sigh of relief on the plane on their way home: “Thank God for getting me out of there!”

If I were you, Mr. President, I would reformat the entire visit. I would turn it from a dismal pilgrimage to Jerusalem to an enlightened visit to Tel Aviv, from a journey of misgivings, wariness, and suspicion to a journey of enlightenment, optimism, and hope. Open up your Lonely Planet Guide, or any other tour book for that matter, and skip right to the section about Tel Aviv to understand what I’m talking about.

A while ago Nadav Eyal used this site to call on you to pay a visit to Rabin Square. It would be amazing if you did. I’m joining the call of Nadav Eyal and the Facebook page with the same goal. We’re starving for a little warmth, a little love, Mr. President. We want you to talk to us, to look us in the eyes, and to listen to what we have to say. We really want to believe you. We want to trust you and extend a reluctant hand to you, so that you can lead us to safe harbor. You can pick up the phone and call former President Bill Clinton, who gave the speech of his life at your convention not too long ago. Ask him about how he established such an incredible relationship with us. Yes, Mr. Obama, you are a cooler, much more calculating man, but you can do it, too. At least you can try. What have you really got to lose if it doesn’t work out? And if it does work out? The sky is the limit.