General Martin Dempsey, head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is travelling to the Holy Land next month to meet his Israeli counterpart, Lt. General Benny Gantz. Dempsey will also be meeting with Defense Minister Barak and Prime Minister Netanyahu.
The meeting is being held to clarify exactly what is meant when various American politicians speak of "all options" being on the table. Hillary Clinton and Leon Panetta are especially fond of the phrase, but Obama himself has been heard to invoke it from time to time.
It is thought that what the Israelis would like to see on the table is a blue and white checkered tablecloth, representing the national colors, topped with a simple menorah as a centerpiece.
Given the budget situation in the US it is expected that Dempsey will suggest something modest from the Martha Stewart catalog, topped with the birch-log candle-holder his nephew handcrafted at Boy Scouts.
In addition to discussing the options on the table, it is expected that the brain trust will also finalize plans for the biggest ever US-Israel joint military exercises.
Scheduled for May of 2012, operation Austere Challenge will involve thousands of American boots on the ground in Israel, as well as the establishment of IDF command posts at the US Army European Command headquarters in Germany.
The overall focus of the exercises is to showcase missile interception capabilities. According to the Jerusalem Post, live missile interceptions will be a part of the drill.
After visiting Israel, General Dempsey will continue on to Lebanon where he will meet with Hezbollah officials to arrange for the live missiles.
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