Tisha B'Av Rains on Romney's Parade

I remember the day clearly. The buzz was everywhere. Israelis were certainly suspicious, but they were fixated by Barack Obama’s visit, ahead of his successful Presidential election. Four years on, with Republican presumptive nominee Mitt Romney about to visit Israel on Sunday, the situation could not be more different.

Back in 2008, the daily newspaper Yediot Aharonot likened Obama’s arrival to that of a “rock star.” I wrote in the Forward: “Throughout the day, Israel caught a local strain of Obama fever, with constant news coverage, flags lining his route in the desert town of Sderot and breathless street corner discussions of every word he uttered.”