Vice President Biden’s trip to Israel began well, with the usual smiles and well-worn rhetoric committing to peace, security and prosperity. Then the other shoe dropped. An Israeli official announced new settlements in Gaza—Secretary of State Hilary Clinton responded that Israel must “prove its commitment to peace” by reversing its decision to expand. Does the White House’s new tone toward Israel signal a shift in the alliance? Should Secretary Clinton back down? Or, is it time that the United States view its relationship with Israel more critically?

Guests:

Michael Berenbaum, PhD. Berenbaum is the director of the Sigi Ziering Center for the Study of the Holocaust and Ethics at American Jewish University where he is also a Professor of Jewish Studies.

David Makovsky, a senior fellow and director of the Project on the Middle East Peace Process at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. He is also an adjunct lecturer in Middle Eastern Studies at Johns Hopkins University's Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and a contributing editor to U.S. News and World Report.