Netanyahu, Obama at the White House: talking the 'talk'

Gratitude, Ambivalence Over Christians Backing Israel (Exclusive Audio)

This is a radio feature I wrote and produced last year for Georgia Public Broadcasting. I'm posting it now, in it's relevance to today's meeting between U.S. President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

Some 2,500 pro-Israel Christians, led by Texas mega-church minister, John Hagee, gathered at an Atlanta-area church in a stirring show of support for the Jewish State. While some American Jews fear a religious agenda behind the bear hug of love, Israelis appreciate someone in their corner in a hard and hostile world.

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Israel's 'Penalty For Early Withdrawal' - in U.S. Terms...

Israeli editorial cartoonist and veteran American immigrant, Yaakov Kirschen's Dry Bones series has faithfully chronicled Israeli history, life and foibles for nearly 40 years.

For the upcoming tete a tete between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and American President Barack Obama, he revised a classic Dry Bones cartoon "that, more than 30 years ago, back in 1977, gave Jimmy Carter an accurate history lesson in Occupied Territories."

"If the reports leaking out of Washington are accurate, the new President seems stuck with the old misconceptions that withdrawing from territory will placate those who lust for our destruction and that America can help by negotiating on behalf of the Arab states that refuse to negotiate directly with the Jewish State of Israel."

Many fans think this profound parody of Jewish observance, tradition and cockeyed optimism about the future, in the face of missile attacks during the 1991 Gulf War is one of his best.

Israel's Moving Answer to Obama's 'Smart Grid'

"Moving," as in personal transportation. From today's New York Times:

DETROIT — Years ago, when Shai Agassi started promoting his idea of service stations to recharge electric cars, the automotive world barely took notice.

At the time, gas was cheap, big pickups and S.U.V.’s ruled American roads, and alternative-fuel vehicles seemed destined to remain a tiny niche for green-minded consumers and technophiles.

But now nearly every major auto company in the world has committed to building electric cars, and President Obama has made reducing oil consumption a centerpiece of his energy policy.

This, I believe, will be big. Very big. And soon. And that's a very good thing.