A splendid view of Capitol Hill awaited Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Washington, D.C. hotel room this week. The snow that befell the American capital was soft and pleasant. It was as if it tried to divert people's attention from the bitter cold -- the temperature on the East Coast of the United States was -9 degrees Celsius (16 degrees Fahrenheit) in some parts. It was so cold that Washington was shut down for a day. The early morning twilight and the picturesque view of Congress evoked a sense that this was part of a scene in the hit series "House of Cards," the much-talked-about show that deals with what goes on in the halls of power when the cameras are turned off in the American capital. It turns out that Netanyahu is a fan of the series. He knows that the circumstances of his visit this week, when he arrived for a meeting with President Barack Obama after being welcomed by an "ambush" that took the form of a hostile newspaper interview, could have easily served as the backdrop for an episode. Two hours before Netanyahu's plane landed in Washington, the media establishment was buzzing over remarks Obama made to a reporter urging the Israeli premier to make concessions and yield to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. As if Netanyahu was the obstacle to a final-status agreement. Except that, oops, something went wrong, and the facts trump any stretch of the imagination. The interview took place at an earlier date, and the timing of the publication was coincided with Netanyahu's arrival in order to create a momentum of pressure on the premier. The only problem was that the crisis in the Crimean peninsula forced Obama to preoccupy himself with the conduct of another leader, Russian President Vladimir Putin, in Ukraine. By the time the interview was released for public consumption, it was no longer relevant in light of the prevailing circumstances. Administration officials in Washington sought to soothe tensions so as not to open up another unnecessary, hostile front against Israel. Netanyahu aides viewed Obama's conduct as an attempt to make quick political hay at Israel's expense. Obama's foreign policy of refraining from being the world's police officer while doing everything to avoid conflict and avoid taking on threats while at the same time wishing to exert the influence of a superpower is proving to be a failure on all fronts. It has failed as it relates to China (in its rivalry with Japan); North Korea (which continues to make threats and thumb its nose at the world); Russia (with its Ukraine gambit); Syria (where Bashar Assad continues his butchery); and Iran (which continues to provide fuel to terrorists without facing any punitive measures). Obama is a weakling that is being bullied by those stronger than him, and he is trying to force progress in the peace process by means of pressuring only Israel when it comes to the Palestinian question. Nobody gave expression to Israel's thoughts on the matter better than Deputy Minister Ofir Akunis, who said: "The American administration is once again applying pressure on the wrong side." The fact that Netanyahu invited the American ambassador to Israel, Dan Shapiro, to join him on his flight to the U.S., as is diplomatic custom, did not seem to grant him immunity to the American attack. Sleepless night Netanyahu wanted to make Iran the central issue of his visit, while Obama insisted on placing the focus on the Palestinian question. After Obama's transparent gambit, Netanyahu skillfully changed the subject to Iran in the proper way: with actions, specifically a bold operation. The Americans were notified of it in advance. The prime minister spent a sleepless night while monitoring the actions of the elite Flotilla 13 naval commando unit as well as other special forces. The constant updates kept coming to Netanyahu's military secretary, Maj. Gen. Eyal Zamir, and Yossi Cohen, the former deputy head of the Mossad who today serves as the premier's national security adviser. Netanyahu telephoned the IDF chief of staff, the heads of Military Intelligence, the Mossad, and the commander of the Israeli Navy to thank them and the troops. "This was perfect execution at sea based on precise intelligence," Netanyahu said. "The goal was to foil the arrival of weapons that threaten the security of the citizens of Israel. The second goal was to expose the true face of Iran. While it is conducting negotiations, it is also arming terrorist organizations with weapons that tilt the strategic balance. We are doing this methodically and systematically. Time and again I have repeated these statements -- Israel has an obligation and the right to defend itself by itself against any threat, and I would add to this anywhere. This is how we have conducted ourselves, and we will continue." "A country like Iran -- a clear-cut terrorist state which exports the most lethal of weapons -- cannot be permitted to come into possession of nuclear weapons," the prime minister said. Boosting ties with Egypt Netanyahu left behind his defense minister, Moshe Ya'alon. By the way, Ya'alon and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry have yet to speak with one another. Ya'alon, who called Kerry "obsessive and messianic" while suggesting that he "take his Nobel Prize and leave us alone," did not apologize, nor did he initiate a phone call. The two men have held conference calls on a number of occasions, with the prime minister as well as other cabinet members like Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Justice Minister Tzipi Livni also on the line, but even on those occasions the two men kept a distance. Ever since the Kerry incident, Ya'alon has kept a low profile. In practice, however, the defense minister can rightly claim credit for bolstering security relations with Egypt. In the last year, Israel was extremely concerned over the flow of arms from Libya via Sinai to Gaza. The Iranians are trying to make a dent in Israel's aerial advantage by attempting to down Israeli Air Force helicopters. Egypt's decision this week to outlaw Hamas is far-reaching and very encouraging from Israel's standpoint. Defense officials in both countries are in constant contact with one another, and relations are good. They're also quiet. Netanyahu was joined in the U.S. by four ministers: Yuval Steinitz, Limor Livnat, Livni, and Uzi Landau. Some of them attended the American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference, while others, like Landau, accompanied Netanyahu to Los Angeles, where they attended an event meant to encourage tourism to Israel. Steinitz testified before a U.S. Senate committee which was pondering legislation that would enable closer monitoring of Palestinian incitement and make American aid contingent on the cessation of this type of behavior. In years past, negotiators were more focused on the core issues of the conflict, but Netanyahu has introduced two matters that have also been discussed and which are vital to Israel: recognition of Israel as a Jewish state and the halt to incitement against Israel. On the Left, there are those who accused the prime minister of making pointless demands whose real goal is to sabotage negotiations. As Steinitz noted, we are seeing results on the ground, particularly after Abbas acknowledged for the first time that there was Palestinian incitement. Now there is an expectation for change. Kerry and Netanyahu -- on the same side Let's go back to the meeting between Netanyahu and Obama. It was evident that the U.S. president was preoccupied by what was taking place in Ukraine. In his statements on Israel, he also commented on the Ukraine crisis by saying that Putin chose the wrong side in this conflict. This was exactly what the prime minister's aides thought about Obama as it relates to his handling of the Israeli-Palestinian issue. The meeting was held in a calm, yet businesslike atmosphere. Netanyahu can claim credit for a number of achievements. Obama demanded concessions and flexibility so as not to create a situation whereby the U.S. was forced to take a position in favor of Israel. Kerry, on the other hand, thought that Obama was too forceful in intervening, all at the behest of Susan Rice, the president's national security adviser. Rice urged Obama to back the Palestinian position. Netanyahu and Kerry suddenly discovered that they were on the same side. Both of them made appearances at the AIPAC conference. Kerry's speech sounded like that of a man who came to prove his innocence. "I am proud to tell you that during [my times as a senator], I had a 100 percent voting record for Israel," the secretary told the assembled lobbyists, many of whom remember well their dealings with the former senator from Massachusetts. It was a "Zionist speech." Last month in Davos, he appeared to adopt the terminology of Livni and Yair Lapid. But at AIPAC, he veered rightward, vowing that the U.S. would not allow another Gaza Strip to take hold in the West Bank. Then Kerry sketched out his vision, which may appear in his "framework" document that will spell out the terms for further peace negotiations. "After Camp David and Oslo and Wye and Annapolis and Taba and all of these efforts, what the end-game should look like is straightforward: security arrangements that leave Israelis more secure, not less; mutual recognition of the nation-state of the Jewish people and the nation-state of the Palestinian people; an end to the conflict and to all claims; a just and agreed solution for Palestinian refugees, one that does not diminish the Jewish character of the state of Israel; and a resolution that finally allows Jerusalem to live up to its name as the City of Peace," Kerry said. "It will take hard work. I'm not pretending any of the answers -- these are all narrative issues. They're tough issues. They complicated. But there is a vision of peace, and it takes tough choices on both sides, especially over the coming days." "I guarantee you that America, that President Obama and this administration, will be there every day of the week, every step of the way." Israeli officials anticipate that the framework will be submitted sometime this month, and it will extend the duration of the negotiations by one year. It will also pave the way for the fourth and final round of prisoner releases. Netanyahu has made clear that there will be no release of Arab-Israelis. Abbas is demanding a freeze on construction or the release of more prisoners, similar to the gestures made by Israel during the initial talks prior to the official launch of negotiations. The issue was raised once again by Obama, and it was shot down. Now observers await Abbas' meeting with Obama in the White House next week. Falling asleep in front of the television After meeting Obama, Netanyahu moved on to what is almost his home turf -- the AIPAC conference. He divided his speech into three parts: the Iranian threat; the chances of reaching an agreement with the Palestinians; and the economic boycotts being threatened against Israel. Netanyahu is a public relations wizard. The speech at the AIPAC conference was a repeat of statements he had made in the past, but there was a new twist -- a call for normalization with the Arab world. Now we will wait and see to determine if this will be mentioned in the American document. The prime minister told the delegates about the injured Syrians he visited, those lucky enough to survive Assad's bombardments. He spoke of the Israeli doctors who fought to save the life of a Syrian child. "I heard from them and from the other patients there what all the Syrians who've come to be treated in Israel are saying," Netanyahu said. "They all tell the same story. They say, all these years, Assad lied to us. He told us that Iran was our friend and Israel was our enemy. But Iran is killing us, and Israel, Israel is saving us." "Those Syrians discovered what you've always known to be true: In the Middle East, bludgeoned by butchery and barbarism, Israel is humane; Israel is compassionate; Israel is a force for good." The premier was forceful in taking on the boycott movement. He believes that it's an issue that cannot be ignored, and that it must be dealt with in order to prevent damage. To a significant extent, the AIPAC speech will be remembered for the praise Netanyahu heaped upon Scarlett Johansson, who recently resigned from her position as a goodwill ambassador for Oxfam International after the organization criticized her for being a pitchwoman for SodaStream, the Israeli soft-drink maker which maintains a factory over the Green Line. "Scarlett, I have one thing to say to you: Frankly, my dear, I do give a damn," the prime minister said, paraphrasing the famous line uttered about another Scarlett in "Gone with the Wind." "Everyone should know what the letters B-D-S really stand for: bigotry, dishonesty and shame," the prime minister said. "And those who -- those who oppose BDS, like Scarlett Johansson, they should be applauded." The AIPAC delegates responded in kind with a thunderous ovation. Somebody mentioned that Netanyahu was a fan of the hit TV series House of Cards, but the premier takes issue with the show's insinuation that politicians control journalists like puppets. In his view, the opposite is the case. Netanyahu recalled that he sat down to watch an episode after returning home from work. He and his wife, Sara, were looking for a good movie on television to which they could fall asleep. Sara suggested the classic "Gone with the Wind." Netanyahu chose to use a quote from that film just as the antithesis of the movie, the Oscar-winning hit "12 Years A Slave" became a smash in the United States. Perhaps it all ties together. Netanyahu once again brought up the Iranian question, despite the fact that he is the perhaps only voice speaking up against the Western powers' negotiations with Tehran. Despite the fact that he did not criticize Obama on the subject during his AIPAC speech or at anytime afterward, he says that he prefers to be a lone voice in the desert when he believes something deep in his heart, rather than go along with the herd that he feels is moving in the wrong direction. "I'm not afraid to be alone," he told members of Congress in Washington. "We see the intelligence." This was just one day before the bold, daring raid on the arms ship. Iran is constantly being aggressive, Netanyahu says repeatedly. No, this isn't propaganda. There is someone arming Assad and other terrorists. There is no real change in behavior. Why do they need centrifuges? The prime minister is not a believer in inspections. From Washington, Netanyahu continued onward to Los Angeles and Silicon Valley, where he hoped to boost Israel's standing as the start-up nation. He attended a premier of "Israel: The Royal Tour," at Paramount Pictures studios. Netanyahu makes an appearance in the film, which was produced by CBS News travel editor Peter Greenberg. It was made in the hope of boosting tourism to Israel and reaching a wider American and global audience. When Greenberg tried to enlist Netanyahu's cooperation, he was met with deep pessimism and suspicion. Still, he did not give up. Greenberg recalled how he was told that the film would not be released due to time constraints and security issues. Nobody believed that Netanyahu would go river rafting in the Jordan, climb Masada, feed dolphins in Eilat, ride a bicycle in Tel Aviv, and lead a tour of the Old City of Jerusalem. While on Masada, the prime minister was heard saying: "Israel is not just a beautiful face. It also has a purpose: the existence of the Jewish people. From this space, let me say for the historical record, and for the commander of the Roman army to hear: We are back. We said again and again for many years, 'Next year in Jerusalem.' After 2,000 years, we have returned."
Credit: IDF Spokesperson's Unit
Cohen, a veteran special operations man who has seen many of these kinds of events in his illustrious career, appeared full of zest. The ten-hour difference between the Red Sea and Beverly Hills seemed to melt away the fatigue.