Various knowledgeable and experienced foreign policy officials say relations between the United States and Israel are more strained and dangerous today than at any time in the past.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to deliver a major address Tuesday to a joint session of the U.S. Congress. It is expected Netanyahu will focus his remarks on dangers presented by Iran and its intent to develop nuclear weapons and the differences between Netanyahu and President Obama on how best to deal with this threat.

Obama doesn’t like it that House Speaker John Boehner bypassed the president and invited the prime minister to the U.S. to make this speech. Obama made his displeasure, or lack of respect for Netanyahu, clear by announcing he will not attend the joint session. Nor does he want to visit with the Israeli leader when he is in Washington. Likewise, he is urging all Democratic members of Congress to boycott the speech. Vice President Joe Biden conveniently will be out of the country.

Also, Secretary of State John Kerry is slamming the visit, as is Susan Rice, Obama’s most trusted national security adviser. Obama’s personal dislike of Netanyahu has been made clear by the number of former Obama campaign and election aides who are in Israel trying to help Netanyahu’s opponent in next month’s Israeli elections.

The decades-long bond between the U.S. and Israel has enjoyed strong bipartisan support. Israel has been Uncle Sam’s strongest ally in that part of the world and is the Middle East’s only strong democracy.

Israeli citizens and Netanyahu have far greater understanding of the threat presented by Syria and Iran. They live with it 24 hours a day, a true death threat presented by leaders of nations only hundreds of miles away. Compare this with Obama, Kerry and Rice, who live thousands of miles away in the comfort and safety of Washington, Camp David and Nantucket.

Controversial Harvard scholar Alan Dershowitz recently noted, “Whether one agrees or disagrees with Speaker John Boehner’s decision to invite Mr. Netanyahu or Mr. Netanyahu’s decision to accept, no legal scholar can dispute that Congress has the power to act independently of the president in matters of foreign policy. Whether any deal with Iran would technically constitute a treaty requiring Senate confirmation, it is certainly treaty-like in its impact. Moreover, the president can’t implement the deal without some action or inaction by Congress.”

This being the case, it would seem shortsighted and dumb for those in Congress to follow the wishes of Obama and boycott the Netanyahu address.

Does Obama believe he can use his executive powers relative to sensitive Iran nuclear issues without the approval of Congress? In a matter as important as this, the security of a long-time ally and the potential proliferation of nuclear weapons, it would seem all members of Congress should want to hear Netanyahu’s ideas.

What message is being sent to our allies, as well as our enemies, that the president of the United States is thumbing his nose at the prime minister of Israel and urging all Democratic members of Congress to boycott Netanyahu’s appearance?

It will be interesting to see how Netanyahu responds to Obama’s actions and manner. Will he be frank and honest with his ideas and how he differs with the Obama-Kerry-Rice team of experts in foreign diplomacy or will he pull his punches and dance around the issue?

Obviously, he will have given deep thought to his address and what he should and should not say. It’s doubtful he wants to deliberately embarrass or anger President Obama, but his primary mission is to protect Israel, call attention to the danger as he sees it and say what he thinks is necessary at this critical time.

Obama’s actions, along with the put-downs by Kerry and Rice, have focused far more attention on the Netanyahu address than is normal for a speech by a visiting foreign leader. Millions more Americans, as well as others around the world, will be listening to the prime minister’s message.

Will it weaken or strengthen Obama’s position? Will it cause greater support for Netanyahu’s warning about the dangers presented by Iran? Will the Obama-Netanyahu battle result in a weakening of the bond between the U.S. and Israel? Also, will it strengthen the resolve of many in the Middle East who want to defeat and weaken Uncle Sam’s respect and influence in their part of the world?