The end of October was a particularly prolific week for two dangerous collision courses. The first one is the continual road accident between the United States and Israel, or more precisely, between the White House and the prime minister’s office. The second one is the deteriorating relations between Palestinians and Jews in Jerusalem, mainly in connection to the world’s most volatile place — the Temple Mount.

Both these courses have seen long strides toward a big bang. In Jerusalem, such a bang could deteriorate the entire region into a third intifada at best, or result in the first Armageddon in the worst case. In terms of the Israel-US front, such a bang could take place after the US midterm elections on Nov. 4. According to one scenario, should President Barack Obama lose these elections, he will turn into a lame duck. Wounded, he would become more furious than ever. As a result of not having a majority in either house of Congress, Obama would find the US domestic front is blocked off to him. Thus, he would remain only with foreign policy by which to leave his mark. Contrary to his nature and disposition, he would turn vengeful. He would want to settle a score with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and especially with his patron, business billionaire and casino mogul Sheldon Adelson. Israel, as a result, might pay a stiff price.

Let’s start with the Israel-US arena. In recent weeks, the relationship between the Oval Office in the White House and the “aquarium” in the prime minister’s office has escalated into a real whirlwind. Even the hard-core pessimists in both offices would not have imagined, until a few days ago, that the situation could sink to such lows. It started with an exchange of implicit jabs that evolved into open diplomatic blows. These, in turn, intensified into blunt mutual accusations until both parties this week made a crash landing into a quagmire of cuss words. This spat now looks like a bona fide Billingsgate. What was surprising was the reaction of the American side, which is usually considered to be levelheaded and calculated. Having abruptly taken off its kid gloves, it described Netanyahu with a series of colorful and pejorative expressions, of which the term “chickenshit” became the hit du jour, starring prominently all over the Internet.

From an American standpoint, this was a spectacular own-goal, making Netanyahu a martyr on his own turf, the only one that truly counts for the Israeli premier. Once again, the Americans helped him to position himself as the champion of Israel’s ideological right wing — a status he has been losing in recent months to Minister of Economy and Trade Naftali Bennett. Taking the podium at the Knesset on Oct. 29, Netanyahu said unabashedly, “I am being attacked only because I am protecting the State of Israel.”