Rarely have the differences between a U.S. president and an Israeli prime minister been so prominently displayed as they were last week when Mr. Barack Obama hosted Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. Mr. Netanyahu's visit capped a week of activity: Jordan's King Abdullah visited a few days before and then Mr. Obama delivered a speech outlining his views of an eventual peace agreement.

To no one's surprise, Mr. Netanyahu rejected the Obama vision and reinforced long-existing lines in the sand. Those lines correspond to the outlines of the state of Israel, and if they are not moved, no peace agreement is possible.

Mr. Obama took office two years ago, promising to make an Israel-Palestine peace agreement a priority. There were some hopes that a new president, especially one who seemed more sensitive to Muslim sensitivities, a new administration and a new commitment to negotiations could help break the deadlock that characterizes Middle East peace talks.