Jerusalem (CNN) -- The banners hanging on Israeli street corners boast of the "Unbreakable Alliance" with the United States, and the Stars and Stripes is flying side by side with the Star of David all across Jerusalem. It is a proud moment for the host nation. But as President Barack Obama heads to Israel and the West Bank for the first time since moving into the White House, there is no expectation of any significant policy breakthroughs and countless questions about his frosty relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "It is the most dysfunctional relationship in the history of U.S.-Israeli relations," former U.S. Mideast negotiator Aaron David Miller told CNN. "There is no real sense of confidence or trust. There is no capacity to give the other the benefit of the doubt."
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President Obama makes his first trip to Israel as president; later goes to West Bank and Jordan
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One expert says U.S.-Israeli relations are the "most dysfunctional" in their history
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Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu have eyes on their places in history
Because the prospects for that are considered so low, the dispute that often has dominated any @placeholder presidential visit to the region is now almost a back-burner issue.
While not carrying a dramatic new peace plan, @placeholder officials say Obama hopes his conversation on this trip begins to lay the groundwork for progress not too far down the road.