Vice presidential trips to Israel are not rare things. The second-in-command in the United States is not only a heartbeat from the Oval Office, but a presumptive nominee when a President’s term is up — and Jerusalem has for years been on candidates’ campaign trail.
But the level of attention lavished by the Israeli government and media on Vice President Mike Pence’s two-day visit this week was unprecedented. He met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu four times, once with a military guard reception normally only accorded to a head of state.
Insiders said Mr Netanyahu considered bending the rules of protocol even further by actually greeting him at the airport, though he decided to send a cabinet minister instead.
Only in the lead-up to the visit did it become clear to many Israelis just how much Mr Pence himself was involved last month in the president’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.