Iran as well as Hamas emerged stronger from the November 21 Gaza ceasefire. Hamas defied the threat of an Israeli ground assault and lived to tell about it. Iran proved it could get longer-range missiles to Hamas in Gaza, as it already freely supplies Hezbollah in Lebanon, thus endangering Israeli civilian population centres from both the north and south. Strategically, Israel now faces the palpable threat of retaliation to an attack on Iran's nuclear weapons programme not from Iran itself, but from its proxies, effectively encircling Israel, something long feared and expected, but now proven publicly. Israel's Iron Dome missile defence system performed exceptionally well in November, but in the unending offence-versus-defence struggle, Iran also learned important lessons for future conflicts.

A nuclear Iran represents an existential threat not only to Israel, but to the shrinking band of pro-Western Arab states across the region. And even those states, such as Saudi Arabia, along with the likes of Egypt, Turkey, and others are certain to seek their own nuclear weapons once Iran crosses the nuclear finish line. That proliferation, which could happen very quickly, would create a Middle East with half a dozen nuclear-weapons states, making this already-volatile region a potential inferno just awaiting the first spark. 

There is no reason to believe any of these national security challenges, or President Obama's consistently weak and inadequate responses, will improve in his second four years. The September 11 Benghazi attack will, at a minimum therefore, come to symbolise Obama's place in international affairs, much more than the killing of bin Laden. Indeed, since America's adversaries have correctly sized Obama up as both passive and inattentive, there is every reason to believe that the pace and scope of challenges will actually increase. Until Republicans make the case and convince voters that America's place in the world is critical to the protection of freedom and a strong domestic economy, the vista ahead is treacherous and clouded. Obama's strange parallel universe will become the new reality.