From Cliff Churgin for McClatchy Newspapers
Sirens blared across Israel on Tuesday as the nation carried out its biggest-ever "doomsday" drill meant to simulate a catastrophic attack.
The faux fears, however, were overshadowed by deepening anxiety in Jerusalem that Israel is heading for an unavoidable political showdown with President Barack Obama over the center-right government's refusal to stop building Jewish homes in the predominantly Palestinian West Bank.
Yedioth Ahronoth, Israel's largest daily newspaper, carried a front-page story Tuesday bluntly titled: "The American Threat."
Its biggest competitor, Maariv, carried a bold headline: "Pressure."The building apprehension comes as Obama is preparing to make a direct appeal to the Islamic world in Cairo on Thursday that's widely seen as a chance for the U.S. to launch a new, more cooperative era with Arab nations in the Middle East.
Central to the success of Obama's attempts to reshape America's image in the region will be a shift in U.S. policy toward Israel.
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