The Battle for the Back Seat: At 4:50 am on a humid spring morning, three anxious senior diplomats - Ambassador to the U.S. Danny Ayalon, Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Gilerman and Consul General in New York, Aryeh Mekel - stood on the runway near a remote terminal at JFK Airport in New York
Behind them, a long line of limousines waited to transport Prime Minister Sharon and his entourage across New York City.
The battle for the single vacant seat in the Sharon's limousine has long become a traditional part of Israeli diplomacy in the U.S.
Each visit to New York allows one lucky diplomat the opportunity to have 20 minutes alone with the prime minister while he is taken to his hotel.
Many still remember the legendary struggle between Gad Yaakobi, the Ambassador to the UN during the 1990's, and the Consul General at the time, Colette Avital, for the coveted time with the late Yizthak Rabin.
Ayalon needed a hug
Adding to the tension is the recent confrontation between Ayalon and Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom.
Ayalon needed a hug and Sharon gave him that hug verbally during his flight over, when Sharon told journalists seated at the back of the plane that "Israel has an excellent ambassador in DC."
In response to the unavoidable follow up question, referring to his opinion of Shalom, Sharon answered with visible amusement.
"Israel has a good foreign minister. He is doing his job," he said.
Traveling solo
Ayalon, standing on the tarmac and shivering from the chilly breeze, was not aware of this. He waited with his two colleagues, but Sharon did not appear. The American Secret Service refused to let him leave the plane until the crowd had dispersed.
Finally, Sharon emerged, shook everybody's hands and entered his limousine. Alone.
The threesome was left on the runway, and before they were able to process Sharon's move, they made a run for it towards their cars to catch up with the procession.
