WarSclerotic

At least one red line has finally been drawn when it comes to stopping Iran’s nuclearization. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delineated that line on a diagram emulating a nuclear bomb in his speech before the U.N. General Assembly Thursday. Standing in front of the cameras, the prime minister told the whole world that Iran’s nuclear program must be stopped before it reached its final stage, when the Islamic republic will have already begun enriching uranium to 90 percent purity. This stage is just short of the end goal, a nuclear bomb.

Netanyahu’s address was designed to woo those missions that may not be as familiar with the issue and to make his pitch to the American people. Every foreign leader would want to appeal to those two audiences from that podium. In his speech, Netanyahu reiterated the points he has been using in his ongoing spat with the U.S. over the need to draw a red line to deter the ayatollahs’ from making the bomb. Nevertheless, Netanyahu’s rhetoric could be interpreted as a cease-fire that may temporarily bridge the gulf between him and U.S. President Barack Obama.

Netanyahu’s address came on the heels of Obama’s own speech before the assembly, where the president once again vowed that his administration would not let Iran have a nuclear bomb. Netanyahu chose to double down on Obama’s message by presenting the timeline governing Tehran’s nuclear program. While acknowledging the uncertainty surrounding the target date, Netanyahu’s address repeatedly mentioned the summer of 2013 as the make or break deadline. Over at the White House, a sigh of relief could be heard; Netanyahu effectively ruled out an Israeli military campaign against Iran before the U.S. presidential elections in November. There is nothing quite as important as that date, as far as Obama is concerned.

The Israeli government has managed to raise global awareness over the threat posed by Iran. There is no doubt that it has successfully driven home that message. It is also a well known fact that the economic sanctions and the red line drawn by the U.S. warning Iran not to close the Strait of Hormuz, represent some of Israel’s most visible achievements. But these steps alone cannot deliver what U.S. and Israeli policy makers want and what their stated policy is — to have Iran’s march toward the bomb grind to a halt.

Although Netanyahu stood his ground on his core convictions on the U.N. podium, his words all but amounted to a unilateral cease-fire in the long-standing feud with the president. At least until the elections. Netanyahu even thanked Obama and stressed that there is no daylight between Democrats and Republicans on the need to deny Iran a nuclear weapon.

Netanyahu could have highlighted the outstanding issues that have driven a wedge between the two governments, but he chose to focus on what unites both countries. There may be multiple reasons for this choice. Perhaps Netanyahu realized that he could not pressure the U.S. administration into taking more action — for now — despite the colossal efforts on his part. Netanyahu may have also concluded that the U.S. would be more inclined to heed his demands if he were to ratchet down his rhetoric.

Netanyahu’s new posture could reflect the internalization that Obama’s re-election is increasingly likely. The way things look right now in the polls, the former Massachusetts governor, Mitt Romney, will not be the next occupant at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. But the election returns are still far off, and the presidential debates have yet to take place.

Israel can claim credit for much of what has been accomplished on the Iranian front. But the Jewish state’s mission is incomplete. And now, with the “election season” truce, the stock market can rally once again.