U.S. President Barack Obama last week sent a veritable all-star team of mavens and muscle to Jerusalem for high-level discussions with Israeli officials.

Defence Secretary Robert Gates, special Mideast envoy George Mitchell, National Security Adviser James Jones and White House Mideast adviser Dennis Ross came to the region to meet with and counsel in turn, primarily, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Ehud Barak.

The visitors’ agendas overlapped.

Topping the items for discussion was Iran. The White House is seeking assurances from Israel that it will not resort to military means to stop the development of the Iranian “bomb.” As reported in The CJN last week, Barak refused to provide that assurance.

Second on the list was the issue of “settlements” in the West Bank. Obama has repeatedly called upon Israel to freeze their construction. It appears that Netanyahu is lurching toward some kind of understanding with the president on the subject. It has been reported that Netanyahu will suspend new building projects but continue with projects underway. Indeed, last week, Netanyahu announced that a new 900-unit housing project slated for east Jerusalem would be shelved for the time being.

Third on the list was easing the everyday living conditions of the lives of Palestinians. Netanyahu reported to his visitors that many alleviative steps, such as removing some checkpoints, have already been implemented in the West Bank. He also was able to report that Israel plans to transfer several hundred tons of cement and other construction materials, including metal pipes, into the Gaza Strip to facilitate reconstruction of the areas destroyed during the military action in December and January.

But he also unambiguously made clear to the visiting Americans that Israel would not fully open the border crossings into Gaza until Hamas freed Gilad Schalit, the soldier they kidnapped three years ago. Netanyahu is to be commended for his firm stance regarding the freedom of the young Israeli.

The U.S. government is reportedly spearheading a $300-million reconstruction effort for war-torn Gaza. We urge President Obama to tie his deference for the reconstruction of Gaza to young Schalit’s release. An international campaign precisely for the purpose of persuading Washington to do so has been started by Schalit’s parents.

Obama has made the linkage of contentious issues a key feature of his foreign policy approach toward the Jewish state. He will therefore undoubtedly understand and endorse Israel’s similar use of linkage in regard to Gaza.

Even more, it is hoped that he will do the same.