Israel’s Fate Is Now in Barack Obama’s Hands

March 19 (Bloomberg) -- When President Barack Obama andIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meet this week forwhat will almost certainly be an intense and lengthyconversation about Iran’s nuclear program, it will be thepresident, not the prime minister, who drives the discussion.

This represents a significant shift in their relationship.For much of the past year, Netanyahu set the agenda in talksabout Iran. His ceaseless and dire warnings about Iran’s deadlyplans helped persuade Obama to strengthen sanctions, launch aseries of expensive and possibly dangerous sabotage effortsagainst the nuclear program, promise repeatedly that the U.S.was ready to use force, and build an international coalition ofsometimes unwilling partners to check Iran’s ambitions.