Benjamin Netanyahu re­turns to Jerusalem on Wednesday after a keenly awaited meeting with the US president that left Israelis in little doubt that a harsh new wind is blowing from Washington.

Netanyahu and Obama: agreeing to disagree

Even the Israeli prime minister’s allies admitted on Tuesday that the disagreements between Mr Netanyahu and Barack Obama had been hard to ignore. Some hailed the fact that – contrary to predictions – there had not been a public falling-out, others congratulated Mr Netanyahu for not caving in to US pressure on the need to create an independent Palestinian state. Seemingly clutching at straws, Danny Ayalon, the deputy foreign minister, pointed out that “even [the] agreement not to agree was done in a good diplomatic fashion, giving a good basis” for future relations.