[I]sraeli analysts say Mr Netanyahu will try to bolster Israel’s battered international image, hurt most recently by its navy’s deadly raid on an aid flotilla. Another prime objective will be to urge Barack Obama, the US president, to adopt more aggressive action against Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

“In the case of Obama and Netanyahu, the deal can be summed up as ‘Iran in exchange for the settlements’,” wrote Aluf Benn, a prominent commentator for Haaretz. “The tougher the line that Washington takes on the Iranian nuclear project, or the more freedom of action it gives Israel, the more Israel will cede in the West Bank.”