Obama's Israel trip in jeopardy/PM Netanyahu's Video Address to the AIPAC Policy Conference

“The president….and I have spoken at length about this trip. And I can assure you he’s particularly looking forward to having a chance to hear directly from the people of Israel and beyond their political leaders, and particularly the younger generation of Israelis,” Biden said. “The vibrancy, the optimism, the absolute commitment is contagious, and he’s looking forward to seeing it and feeling it and tasting it.”

Biden said he was envious of Obama’s chance to take the trip. “I have to admit I’m a little jealous that he gets to be the one to say ‘this year in Jerusalem,’ but I’m the vice president. I’m not the president,” Biden said during his morning address at the Convention Center.

”The first thing that my new government will have the privilege of doing is to warmly welcome President Obama to Israel,” Netanyahu said, in his speech a short time later via satellite from his office in Jerusalem.However, a weary-sounding Netanyahu also indicated that the negotiations around forming a government have been an ordeal.

“If I can offer a free piece of advice: don’t adopt Israel’s system of government. You know, every system has its pluses and minuses. But believe me, it’s a lot easier finding common ground between two parties than it is to find common ground among ten parties. You think you have a difficulty working out your politics, believe me, this is harder,” the prime minister said. “Despite the difficulties, I intend to form a strong and stable government in the days ahead,” he insisted.

Carney said planning for the visit is continuing, but he stopped short of saying the trip would go on even if no governing coalition is formed. “The president is looking forward to, very much, his trip to Israel and the region, and we’re on course planning that trip,” the spokesman said.

Asked whether the State Department’s comments on the importance of a sitting Israeli government would apply to Obama’s visit as well, a White House spokeswoman declined to elaborate beyond Carney’s remark.

Given the need to move Secret Service personnel, communications equipment and advance staff well before a presidential visit, the White House may need to make a decision on scrubbing the trip even before Netanyahu’s March 16 deadline.

In March 2009, Netanyahu also asked for a 14-day extension to form a government and essentially nailed down his coalition about one week later, Barnea noted.

During much of Obama’s first term, the relationship between Obama and Netanyahu was noticeably chilly, particularly after Obama’s initial, unsuccessful efforts to jump start the Mideast peace process focused on convincing Israel to cease settlement activity. There was also political suspicion among Obama supporters that Netanyahu was trying to defeat Obama in last year’s election and among Netanyahu supporters that Obama was rooting for the prime minister’s defeat earlier this year.

Hoenlein, who spent a week in Israel last month with a delegation of Jewish leaders from the U.S., said average Israelis are eagerly anticipating Obama’s visit although some are nervous about his agenda.

Obama and Netanyahu have said the main topics to be discussed are Iran, Syria and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Some Israeli press reports have suggested the main purpose of the trip is to pressure Israel not to strike Iran and to leave the matter to the U.S.

“People are concerned about what the real goal is. There’s a lot of speculation…..They keep asking, ‘Why is he coming? Why is he coming?’” Hoenlein said. “I say, ‘For four years, you were saying, “Why isn’t he coming?” Now, you’re asking “Why is he coming?”’”

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNCC9xI1SCk?rel=0&w=640&h=360]