Hear ye, hear ye, President Barack Obama is set to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington on March 5th (see below). Expect the meeting to be a colossal waste of time.

Why? Because PM Netanyahu is worried about an existential threat to his country. President Obama, on the other hand, is worried about his political career. Two very different individuals with two very different agendas, representing two countries with historically close ties, shared values, and a common enemy.

So expect some photo-ops and very public kumbaya moments (unless, of course, President Obama feels compelled to join the family for dinner in the private residence, as he did another time, leaving PM Netanyahu hanging in the wind).

Expect the so-called pro-Israel lobby, AIPAC, which is holding its annual cheerleading conference on March 4-6 (the real reason for Netanyahu's visit), to put on a star-studded extravaganza, with soaring music and VIPs from all sides of the aisles. And expect the speakers to reaffirm their strong commitment to the security of Israel, i.e., the line that triggers spontaneous applause from the AIPAC crowd and earns you the honorary title of "strong Israel supporter."

EXCEPT that entertaining all sides of the national security divide (aka the aisle), and giving them equal time and treatment is little more than an exercise in futility. For when it comes to national security, there are but two (main) sides to the debate, i.e., there's the knowledgeable and informed side that makes sense; and the side that ISN'T and DOESN'T. Simply put, there's smart, and there's not-so-smart (politically-correct parlance for stupid). Dumbing down the former to accommodate the latter may give an appearance of being fair & balanced, but accomplishes little else, except sending a message of wobbliness to friends and foes alike.

So much for high-profile meetings and start-studded extravaganzas...

[See latest Update from AIPAC here.]