(Worldtribune).— Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu gave his aides a blank stare. Netanyahu had been asked to talk about basketball with President Barack Obama and had never heard of the game called Horse,No problem, an aide said. He summoned a senior official who played for years in Israel's softball league.
"Hey Ari, how about a game of Horse?" the aide, standing in front of the prime minister, asked.
Nearly every day, Netanyahu has been conducting meetings in preparation of his visit to the United States and meeting with Obama on May 18. The sessions in the prime minister's office included the drafting positions on a Palestinian state in the West Bank, peace with Syria and Israel's security needs.
But much of the effort has focused on devising ways for Netanyahu to achieve a chemistry with Obama. Netanyahu's aides, many of them born and raised in the United States, know plenty of Obama's habits, but little of what makes the new president click.
"There are those who believe that Obama is just another American president who fits in foreign policy between a domestically-driven agenda," an Israeli source said. "There is a small group who believe that Obama is completely different and totally focused on Israel and the Middle East."
A key concern in the prime minister's office was that Obama or his aides would try to embarrass Netanyahu during his visit to the United States in an effort to highlight Washington's dispute with Israel. Already, Israel has received reports that Obama aides were boasting that the president would be forceful with the visiting prime minister.
"If there is no complete agreement on all the details in dealing with this issue, there is a chance for the most serious dispute between the U.S. and Israel in the entire 61 years of relations between the two," Robert Satloff, director of the Washington Institute and close to the White House, said.
Netanyahu's preparations have been hampered by a dispute within his government over whether and to what extent should Israel concede to Obama's demand for a fast-track process toward a Palestinian state in the West Bank. The dispute has pitted Netanyahu's against two most important ministers — Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman.
"If Netanyahu chooses one minister, he will probably lose the other minister as an ally," the source said.
The sources said Barak has urged Netanyahu to support U.S. efforts to establish a Palestinian state in the West Bank. The defense minister has also appealed to the prime minister to announce his endorsement of a peace plan by Saudi Arabia.
"Barak's position is that Israel cannot afford to derail U.S. peace efforts while asking for Washington's help on Iran," the source said.
In contrast, Lieberman has pressed Netanyahu to embark on a new policy toward the Palestinians that would focus on economic development. The sources said Lieberman has urged Netanyahu to demonstrate firmness to persuade Obama that U.S. pressure on Israel would be ineffective.
So far, Netanyahu has been leaning toward Barak, who appears to represent the most reliable channel to the Obama administration. Netanyahu, to the consternation of his finance minister, quickly dropped plans for a cut in the Defense Ministry budget as he sent messages through Barak to the White House on the need for a successful summit.
As a result, the prime minister has been drafting proposals to develop the Palestinian Authority and ease restrictions on Palestinians in the West Bank. The prime minister also plans to stress the threat by Iran and its proxies, Hamas and Hizbullah.
