The two men were also likely to discuss Iran, and the latter’s lingering nuclear programme, which made steady progress despite oft-repeated Iranian denials that they were harbouring an active programme. Repetitive Israeli threats, as well as American demands for accountability in discussions through the P5+1 framework or even on a bilateral basis, will be too important to be overlooked. Regrettably, while the Obama administration continued to extend an olive branch to Tehran, and may have prevented an Israeli attack on Iranian military facilities during the past few months, Ayatollah Khamanei has reiterated his refusal to engage, much less listen to or negotiate, with Washington.

Naturally, Obama and Netanyahu will measure each other up on Syria as well, where one can see that the regime is hanging on in the middle of what is turning out to be a war beyond either Washington’s or Tel Aviv’s abilities to guide. Despite tremendous pressure on Saudi Arabia and other Arab States not to accelerate financial and military aid to Syrian revolutionaries — and aware that Russia and China continue their obduracy in the hope of restoring their lost capabilities throughout the Arab world — the onus was on the US to persuade Israel to check its insatiable appetite to hit Syria and its Hezbollah ally in Lebanon at a time when Damascus was on its knees and the Party of God confronted an unprecedented identity crisis within one of the most dynamic societies in the entire region.

Even if the images of the new Middle East, that Netanyahu will paint for Obama, will correctly focus on the bloody Syrian revolution, Lebanon’s perpetual internecine conflicts and dramatic shifts in Iraq, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and Turkey, he will also portray Israel as an island of stability in a sea of turmoil and Levantine chaos. Of course, time will tell whether Obama will listen politely, but quickly excuse the erroneous portrayals. To be sure, Washington was aware that the region changed for the better after the fall of several dictatorships, although temporary instability was disquieting. Obama knew that permanent adjustments were underway in Syria, Israel and elsewhere and it behoved Washington to start thinking differently about the area — perhaps by truly “listening” to indigenous aspirations.