Iran is also a top issue for Israelis, many of whom see Obama's focus on diplomacy and targeted sanctions to curb Tehran's nuclear program as wishful thinking.
An Israeli cabinet minister, commenting on Joe Biden's visit, pointed to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's description of the September 11 attacks in the United States as a "big fabrication" as cause for concern.
"What we have here is a madman, and crazy people can do only crazy things," Industry and Trade Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer told Israel Radio. "The Americans ... must see how they can create a reality in which they stop the madman."
An Israeli political source said Israel expected Biden's main message would be "Don't bomb Iran," a cautionary note Washington has sounded before in contacts with Israeli leaders.
Biden will meet Israeli, Palestinian, and Jordanian leaders, but a main component of his trip will be public diplomacy. That means reassuring anxious Israelis about Obama's commitment to their security while explaining why they should be willing to make concessions for peacemaking.
Source : http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6260GL20100308
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