Obama expressed the importance of dialogue and called Iran a grave threat (though not grave enough to avoid having brunch with), while Netanyahu stressed the importance of a Palestinian state and Palestinians actually recognizing the Jewish state. Translation: They wasted a few hours on a Monday morning.

Fun fact out of the Middle East today: A full 40% of Israeli Arabs deny the Holocaust, while just 50% of the country’s Arab population even acknowledges the right of Israel to exist. Just imagine what those numbers look like when you bring Arabs outside of Israel into the picture.

Oh, and you know that possibility of reform we keep hearing about from Iran? How Ahmadinejad might not even win re-election because the religious establishment thinks he burns too many bridges or something? Yeah, funny story:

Obama and Netanyahu will likely be working with the same president after Iran’s June 12 elections, though, after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei all but endorsed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for another term Monday, saying Iranians should not vote in someone who “thinks about endearing himself to some Western power.” A prominent opposition candidate has challenged Ahmadinejad on Holocaust denial and other moves that intentionally antagonize the West…

As the leaders met Monday, Iran’s parliament speaker, Ali Larijani, gave a speech stating “that under no circumstances will the Islamic Republic of Iran recognize the Zionist regime and believes that any country doing so would be defamed among nations,” according to a summary from the official Islamic Republic News Agency.

But let’s sit down with these people in the hopes that they’ll suddenly recognize Israel and suspend their nuclear program out of concern for international security. Oh, and Israel shouldn’t do anything to rustle their feathers even to protect itself. Seeing as Iranian leaders are so rational, caring, and all.

Exit question: Any wonder that just 31% of Israelis see President Obama as pro-Israel? It’s Jimmy Carter all over again.