Barack Obama caught between Israel and his Palestinian 'promise'

“Barack Obama has good reason to ask what the present Israeli government has ever done for him.

When the White House asked it to halt construction of Jewish settlements in the occupied territories to give peace talks a chance, the building went on. After Washington pressed Binyamin Netanyahu to embrace the promise of Palestinian independence within months, the Israeli prime minister did his best to scupper any prospect of new talks.

Netanyahu even went so far as to publicly dress down the president of his country's closest ally by lecturing Obama on Jewish historical claims and the Arab threat in front of the press at the White House. The president was furious at the humiliation and the administration made it known in private.

Netanyahu was unperturbed and has continued to agitate in favour of Obama's domestic political opponents in a way that no other foreign leader would dare interfere in American politics.”