It is no secret that relations between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office and the White House are chilly, but the coming days could provide Israel’s prime minister with an opportunity to fix them. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad — at least for now — can be thanked for that. Close cooperation provided by Israel to the Americans during an attack on Syria will remind them that at crunch time, the strategic alliance between the two countries is far stronger than their leaders themselves.
Unlike the diplomatic negotiations with the Palestinians — which have limped along for the past four years — or future plans discussed behind closed doors to stop the Iranian nuclear program, this time what is on the books is a significant concrete event. It is likely to take place in the coming days, which will provide up-to-date justification for this alliance.