Israeli and U.S. officials say stories that inaccurately portray the situation are not much of a problem.

"These are simply bumps in the road," said White House spokesman Tommy Vietor.

An Israeli government spokesman called the disputed reports "a nuisance," but said "they don't have any kind of effect on the relationship."

"The relationship is strong and good and warm," the spokesman said. "It appears that there are elements that would like to see it otherwise, but it's not affecting the good discussions we're having."

They could hardly be expected to say anything else. Nonetheless, it seems the so-called "gap" should be treated with a bit of healthy skepticism.

Ami Isseroff