Hillary Clinton went unto AIPAC and said:

New construction in East Jerusalem or the West Bank undermines mutual
trust and endangers the proximity talks that are the first step toward
the full negotiations that both sides want and need. It exposes daylight
between Israel and the United States that others in the region could
hope to exploit. And it undermines America’s unique ability to play a
role – an essential role, I might add — in the peace process. Our
credibility in this process depends in part on our willingness to praise
both sides when they are courageous, and when we don’t agree, to say
so, and say so unequivocally.

Wonder of wonders, this was greeted with “light applause,” according to the Forward. Not that the AIPACniks were backing a freeze on settlements, as Code Pink hoaxed. But for all the kissy face in the rest of Clinton’s remarks, the squeeze is on and they know they’ve got to grin and bear it.

AIPAC Executive Director Howard Kohr says he wants differences between the U.S. and Israel handled behind closed doors, and that’s where Netanyahu will be induced to promise no settlement expansion as a good will gesture to get the proximity talks
back on track–be it at his tete-a-tete with Clinton at the State Department this afternoon or when he dines with VP Biden at Blair House this evening.

I’m betting he’ll break the news when he addresses AIPAC tonight–thereby insuring sweetness and light when he meets with President Obama at the White House tomorrow. It’s HCR signing day, and at this juncture in history, you trifle with POTUS at your peril.

Update: I lose my bet.