Genuine warmth between Israel's leaders and visiting Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev did not provoke Jerusalem to compromise the nation's mandate to defend itself. Just the opposite. "We are determined to do two things," Netanyahu told Mevedev.

Replete with smiles all around, along with symbolic visits to the Western Wall and Yad Vashem, Russia Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev is in Israel. Why is he here? Ostensibly, the reason is to strengthen economic ties between Moscow and Jerusalem. But in Medvedev's own words to Russian journalists, the real focus has to do with other pressing matters.