(20.01.2023)

On a sweltering day last July, US President Joe Biden, on his first presidential visit to Israel, made sure to seek out his old friend Benjamin Netanyahu in the crowd of Israeli delegates welcoming him to the Holy Land.

At the time, Mr Netanyahu’s political fortunes were diminished. After more than a decade in power, he was now opposition leader, having been replaced by a fragile alliance of younger leaders.

Mr Biden’s overture on the tarmac of Ben Gurion Airport appeared to be simply a recognition of their decades-long friendship.