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The May 18 meeting between President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is critical for both nations. US-Israeli relations are in danger of deteriorating to the lowest point since Dwight Eisenhower ordered Israeli troops to evacuate Sinai in 1956 "“ an event that contributed to the 1967 Six-Day War. The summit may define relations between these two democracies for the duration of the Obama administration and beyond.

The White House seems to be intentionally slighting Israel in advance of the summit, even as it raises the stakes. Obama's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, and National Security Adviser Gen. James Jones appear to have linked US willingness to stop Iran's nuclear program to receiving Israeli...