Additionally, even as America might conclude at a certain point that negotiations with Iran have run aground, it might choose to accede to pressures from allies who still believe otherwise and may call for further efforts — after all, if experience is any guide, a multilateral process of diplomacy and sanctions involving the EU and the UN Security Council can considerably delay progress on the Iran nuclear dossier and significantly water down sanctions. This time, if America plays along, this might actually encourage Israel to strike.

Regardless, there are just as many indications that Israel and the US remain on the same page. Especially as time goes by, possible differences could be mitigated by changing circumstances. The Palestinian issue, more than anything else, bears the potential for an upset in the strategic relationship. The administration seems to be signaling a return to the days before the Bush era, when the Palestinian-Israeli issue was central to the region. Solving the Israeli-Palestinian dispute is presented as a necessary prelude to an effective strategy to countenance Iranian mischief in the region. In fact, this might be posturing for image's sake. After all, there is little progress to be hoped for on the Palestinian front. And pro-American regional powers — especially Egypt and Gulf States — see Iran's ambitions of regional hegemony as a direct existential threat. It is unlikely they will prioritise Palestine over their survival. 

The challenge for Netanyahu is to persuade Obama that neutralising the Iranian threat is more urgent than the Palestinian issue. The point of equilibrium might require some concession on both sides — and it will more likely than not manifest itself in the form of some perfunctory diplomatic process. 

The challenge for Obama is to give reassurances to Israel, lest it acts alone against Iran, without jeopardising his diplomatic efforts with Tehran or vitiating his efforts to restart the peace process. If Netanyahu manages to dispel the US administration's anxiety and to explain the reasons for Israel's concerns about Palestinian statehood and the kind of guarantees Israel needs to advance on the road to a negotiated peace, Obama will have what he needs. In which case, so will Israel.