WarSclerotic

As soon as Air Force One takes off from Ben-Gurion International Airport on Friday, it will already be possible to divide the citizens of Israel into two groups: those who got to hug President Barack Obama and those who didn’t. If I could make a last-minute change to the artistic program for Thursday evening, I would invite Ruti Navon to sing Yoram Taharlev’s song: “Pull me to you, hug me tight.” Some of the children who didn’t get to hug Obama will get dolls as a consolation prize. The entire nation is in therapy and Obama is our coach. Tikkun (repair or self-improvement) usually refers to happens during all-night Shavuot study sessions. This time, it’s just before Passover.

Obama, as we said, came to Israel on a charm offensive. His target audience in Israel was ready and willing to be charmed. Both sides were the better for it. The U.S. president got round the clock uninterrupted airtime on each of Israel’s television channels, which helped him in the task of captivating Israeli hearts and minds. Meanwhile, Israeli VIPs, especially the newly arrived, got a historic photograph with Obama that they can hang on the wall.

Paradoxically, prior to his visit Obama had received a failing grade in Israeli public opinion. One American journalist asked on Wednesday how this is possible. Obama admitted that he may have made a mistake during his first term. His “springtime” speech on Thursday at the International Convention Center in Jerusalem, directed to the Israeli public, is supposed to be the highlight of the visit. In Cairo we saw the results of his previous speech from 2009. We hope our new government can escape the bad luck the Egyptian government had.

There is reason to take heart from the first day of the president’s visit. The body language between Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu broadcast the message that they can definitely work together. Both won another term simultaneously, and both need to work with someone who is not a natural partner. Obama and Netanyahu are both sufficiently experienced to understand that if you want to succeed, you have to be able to turn over a new leaf. As Netanyahu said, “Perhaps we need a second-term president and a third-term prime minister.” It doesn’t hurt that the two men were photographed hugging.

It might be that Netanyahu and Obama now agree a bit more, though their press conference speeches showed they have slightly different priorities. Netanyahu said Iran, Syria and the Palestinians. Obama spoke of the Palestinians, Syria and Iran. Both sides agree that Iran can’t have nuclear power, that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is a bad man and that there is room for two states for two peoples. We knew all of this before the hugs, too.

The sad thing is the lack of respect Obama received in the Palestinian Authority, where demonstrators tore up the Obama pictures hung in honor of his visit. We have a wild card in the equation. When Obama spoke with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas first, his popularity here dropped; now that he’s come to us with all his charm, our neighbors see him as a Zionist agent. Obama, a rational leader, landed in perhaps the most emotional area of the world.

Want proof? Give us a hug.