Vice-President Joe Biden spoke today at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee Policy Conference. President have attended in the past, but Obama was better things to do. So he went Biden.

Biden’s relationship with Israel has been varied, although you would not know it in recent years given his pro-Israel pronouncements that are typical in U.S. politics.

But Biden apparently once had a standoff with Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir. Biden threatened to even cut off aid to Israel. Biden then was Chairmen of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Shamir irritated him over something [I don’t remember what]. Biden, of course, never did even reduce aid to Israel.

And since that time he had been making one pro-Israel comment after another, like this:

But since he has become Vice-President Biden had been willing to be more critical. Recently, he stated that an Israeli attack against Iran would be ill-advised.

And, now, at AIPAC Biden has called for an end to illegal settlements and freedom of movement for Palestinians whom trapped by over 600 checkpoints and a matrix of Jewish-only roads. Recognizing his hawkish audience, Biden began his comments by stating “you’re not going to like me saying this.”

Biden then told Israel to “Show me” as to its commitment to peace.

A sign of things to come?