Senior Palestinian Authority (PA) officials have been intently monitoring the American reaction to the crisis between US President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as well as Israel’s moves surrounding Netanyahu’s speech March 3 before the US Congress. As far as they are concerned, the current crisis could herald a change in the rules of the game, for them, too.

Meanwhile, both in Israel and elsewhere, those who were concerned by the possibility that defense aid to Israel would be curtailed because of the Obama-Netanyahu rift have realized that despite the overt differences, the road to US sanctions against Israel is still a long way off. Obama continually conveys, including in an interview he gave after Netanyahu's address before the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, that while there are genuine disputes with the prime minister concerning Iran’s nuclear project, his commitment to Israel nonetheless remains unwavering.

However, the alliance with the greatest and richest power in the world is not measured only by its generous foreign aid and its pledge to maintain Israel’s physical security. Besides the regular defense aid and the supplemental funding of the Iron Dome missile defense system during the war in the Gaza Strip last summer, the United States also provides Israel with a “diplomatic Iron Dome” that protects it in the international arena. Those contemplating sanctions against Israel or espousing a patently anti-Israeli diplomatic move have to take into account the reaction of the world’s biggest power.

The diplomatic protection that the United States accords Israel is not confined only to Middle Eastern countries. Europe, which has not been very sympathetic to Israel in recent years, could have been more aggressive in terms of isolating and boycotting Israel had the White House not taken such a clear stand regarding any move that might be harmful to Israel.