They're digging up Obama's tree? No, but it's roots are in plastic netting, ahead of inspection

Ynet is reporting that by order of the Agriculture Ministry, the magnolia tree brought from the US by the president and planted by Obama and Peres earlier this afternoon is being dug up. Not so, says the president’s spokeswoman Ayelet Frisch. Rather, it’s roots are in a plastic netting, not touching the ground, prior to inspection next week by the Agriculture Ministry. Plants cannot be brought in from abroad “without undergoing a check” by the ministry, the Ynet report quoted the bureaucrats as saying. Frisch says the president’s people were kept informed of all this in advance.

As the Netanyahu-Obama talks near their mid-evening break — there’ll be a press conference in 20 minutes or so, and then a working dinner — Ambassador Michael Oren is asked whether, for all the nice words thus far, Obama isn’t going to say, sooner or later: What about ending the occupation?

Michael Oren (photo credit: Wikimedia Commons CC-BY-Anne Mandlebaum)

Ever the diplomat, Oren ignores the wording and reiterates that Israel wants to talk to the Palestinians, with no preconditions, right away.

If these two leaders differ on Iran and the Palestinians, they don’t seem to disagree on the Syrian chemical weapons threat — a real front-burner issue given the unclear reports about the possible use of chemical weapons on the other side of the northern border yesterday. Doubtless, that’s being discussed right now.

Channel 2 analyst Amram Abramovitch says “it’s a foregone conclusion” that Obama is demanding a settlement freeze. That’s central to any new negotiations, he asserts.

“It would be a mistake to go down that wrong path,” responds Jewish Home’s Naftali Bennett, alongside him in the studio.

The “deadlock” of the last government was a mistake, says Tzipi Livni, joining the debate. And you have indications that that is going to change? Yes, she replies.

Former Israeli ambassador to the UN Dan Gillerman says this trip “is all about building a relationship… They have to work together… They won’t get another chance” to establish good chemistry.