The recent meetings between the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, and President Barack Obama are a classic example of leaders dancing all around.  When they do this, it’s not clear who is taking the lead.  No one wants to be too pushy, and no one wants to be in front.  They want to present a gentle, coordinated minuet, which may be fine for the first date, but which will take no one ahead.  When leaders dance such a minuet, they agree to disagree, they keep a distance and politely bow, knowing that everyone is watching them on the floor.  The real spectacle is on the sidelines, where their staff hold their coats and refuse to dance.  This minuet is only a veneer, only a backdrop.  When the headlines read, “It went better than expected,” they missed the point.  No one expected a rumble, this wasn’t West Side Story, it was simply the quiet before the storm.  As we get down the road, the harpsichord music will fade.

Pic Source: Reuters