Before Prime Minister Netanyahu met with President Obama, the Obama Administration insisted that Netanyahu acknowledge that the creation of a Palestinian State is the first order of business. Today, the two leaders met and then they made themselves available for a few press questions.

The press availability spoke volumes. President Obama looked uneasy and not in full command.  He seemed taken aback by Netanyahu's warmth and Netanyahu's success in turning the event into an in-depth discussion of Iran and not the Palestinians. On the Palestinian question, Netanyahu made it clear (at least two times) that the Palestinians would have to recognize the existence of Israel as a Jewish State.  He committed to beginning peace talks and made it clear that he would not accept a terrorist state on Israel's borders. Even Obama broke new ground on the Palestinian issue. While he reiterated the end goal of two states, he also acknowledged that the Palestinians must get their own act in order. He criticized Israel for the humanitarian problems in Gaza and he criticized the Palestinians for lobbing rockets into Israel.

In sum total the Palestinian issue was much less defined than Obama wanted.  This came about because Netanyahu refused to cave to the Administration's pressure to declare support for two states.

Furthermore, Netanyahu deftly focused most of the attention on the threat of Iran becoming a nuclear power. While Obama defended using the Palestinian issue to help gain international support against Iran he also acknowledged that his goal is to stop a nuclear Iran. He went on for the first time to say that talks with Iran will not be open ended (a request Netanyahu had made through a back channel months ago.) For his part, Netanyahu said that the State of Israel cannot accept nuclear weapons in the hands of a regime that has threatened to annihilate Israel. He also stated that a nuclear Iran will put nuclear weapons into the hands of terrorists that will attack American cities.

Today, Netanyahu became the first leader to successfully push back against Obama and to make the Iran agenda item number one.