"Operation 'Change-the-Subject'"

AP/ here

"... Netanyahu fears Israel could be forced into unwanted concessions and its enemies' hands will be strengthened. His government is pushing to keep the focus firmly on threats from Hezbollah, Hamas and — particularly — Iran and its disputed nuclear program ...Israel has spent the past week trying to draw attention to the myriad threats it says it faces in the region.

As the U.S. prepared to reinstall an ambassador in the Syrian capital of Damascus, Israeli intelligence officials said this week they believe Syria was transferring deadly Scud missiles to Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon, a claim Syria denied. Hezbollah admits it has been massively arming since its 2006 war with Israel, yet the timing of the statements suggested they may have also reflected Israeli concerns about Obama's Syria policy.....

The current U.S.-Israeli friction might be an unavoidable outcome of having a liberal administration in Washington and a right-wing government in Israel. But with Israel's international image in tatters following its bruising offensive against Hamas militants in Gaza last year — and with the U.S. badly in need of Muslim support to accomplish its goals in Afghanistan and Iraq — patience for Israel's 43-year-old occupation of the Palestinians is wearing thin...'