Are Israel and the U.S. seeing eye-to-eye on the situation with Iran?

TRANSCRIPT
The cardinal sin of foreign affairs is to see other countries through your own eyes. You have to look at things through their eyes, to see the world as they see it to make sense of a situation.

If you’re Israel what are you seeing? For a long time we saw eye to eye. A hostile Arab world bent on destroying Israel. A rock-solid Israeli-American relationship, with the US defending Israel at all costs.

What is Israel seeing now?

A more belligerent Iran, which is moving full speed ahead on a nuclear weapons program; testing long-range missiles and enriching uranium at increased rates.

A fiery, charismatic Iranian President rachetting up the rhetoric about wiping Israel off the face of the earth.

A looming nuclear arms race in the Middle East if Iran does go nuclear, as moderate Arab states rush to acquire nuclear stockpiles of their own.
Iran’s proxy militaries, Hezbollah and Hamas, rearming on its borders, stockpiling missiles and armaments, preparing for another war.

What is Israel seeing from the US? A new American President who, in his zeal to reach out to the Arab Muslim world, seems less committed to Israel.

Last year President Obama broke with tradition and visited the Middle East without going to Israel. He recently met the Israeli President at the White House but refused to have their picture taken together, and broke in the middle of meetings to have dinner – with the Israelis.

Obama makes speeches about stopping Iran’s nuclear program, but is dragging his feet on imposing crippling sanctions, preferring to deal through the decidedly anti-Israel UN.

So, if you’re Israel, and questioning whether America still has your back, you might be thinking what you’ll have to do if you’re forced to go it alone. And that spells trouble.