Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu used the term 'Palestinian state' to pacify Obama, but his vision of the state amounts to a flag and an anthem, with no concessions from the Israeli side.

The reality of power – that the U.S. is still the financial, military, diplomatic and political superpower patron on which Israel depends – was not reflected in the press conference that followed the meeting.

As Obama prepares to meet Israel's new hard-line PM, much of the world awaits signs of a new course.

This policy paper examines the lessons from and for Afghanistan, arguing for an "overall strategy", a primarily political solution to the conflict, an emphasis on state-building, and addressing the real (and not distorted) linkages between Afghanistan and Pakistan.