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Sad Day for US-Israel Relations

It is a sad day for US-Israel relations.

It's a sad day when an Israeli prime minister chooses to impassion a large Washington crowd by defiantly championing and re-committing to a policy that the US administration rejects.

It's a sad day when Israel's prime minister comes to Washington to give a much-anticipated speech that is almost all demagoguery, dogma and defiance rather than vision, courage and leadership.

It's a sad day when Netanyahu, who so often justifiably expresses Israel's concern over Iran's nuclear quest, doesn't put this supreme Israeli national security interest above his government's obsession with settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

It is a sad day when a defiant prime minister ends up seeing President Obama quietly in the White House, without media presence, because the President is concerned that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu might again embarrass the United States.

It's a sad day when hours after Netanyahu's defiant speech, thousands of AIPAC lobbyists are flooding Capitol Hill, scolding the Obama administration for publicly disagreeing with Israel.

It's a sad day when so many American advocates for a safe and secure Israel come to Washington and instead of delving into real matters of policy - into what needs to be done to secure Israel's future as a Jewish and democratic state - they merely hone their skills as "hasbara" agents defending the untenable status quo.

It is a sad day because what Israel needs today is not more heated rhetoric in Washington and inflammatory actions in East Jerusalem. What Israel needs is to responsibly and pragmatically work with its most important ally, the US, to chart a way - together - to tackle its two major challenges: the malignant Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which threatens Israel's future as a Jewish democracy, and Iran's nuclear threat.

On days like this, you have to force yourself to focus on the positive.

Thankfully, most Israelis and Palestinians are still committed to the two-state solution, as is the Obama administration.

Thankfully, the administration has the backing of the international community to be an active mediator in the indirect Israeli-Palestinian talks that will likely be launched soon.

And hopefully, when the negotiations do get going, most Israelis, Palestinians and Americans will be able to see through the bravado and the provocation, and focus on the substance of seeking peace.