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Syria鈥檚 destabilizing civil war and unconfirmed reports of a chemical-weapons attack in the fighting leapfrogged to the top of the agenda for President Obama鈥檚 trip to Israel Wednesday.

Mr. Obama, standing alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at an evening press conference in Jerusalem, asserted that verification of use of chemical weapons would be 鈥渁 game-changer鈥� and would prompt a new level of US involvement in the 2-year-old war.

The United States is currently investigating 鈥渆xactly what happened鈥� in the attack Tuesday in northern Syria, where both sides in the conflict claim chemical weapons were used, Obama said. The confirmed use of the weapons, he said, would 鈥渓et the genie out of the bottle鈥� for even worse mass killings and the possible transfer of the weapons to terrorists.

Obama said he was aware of the mutual accusations by the opposition and the regime of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, but he said he is 鈥渄eeply skeptical of any claim that it was in fact the opposition that used chemical weapons.鈥�

Obama and Mr. Netanyahu emerged from several hours of talks at the prime minister鈥檚 residence with little hint of the generally cool and even tense relations that characterized the past four years.

Iran鈥檚 nuclear program and the possibilities of reviving the moribund Israeli-Palestinian peace process were clearly also key issues in the two leaders鈥� discussions. But the prevailing theme, based on the comments each offered at their press conference, was Israel鈥檚 security in what Obama called a 鈥渢ough neighborhood that has only gotten tougher鈥� 鈥� and the 鈥渦nbreakable鈥� US commitment to that security.

Netanyahu, who opened his comments by addressing Obama as 鈥淏arack,鈥� said he is 鈥渁bsolutely convinced the president is determined to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons.鈥�

Even as he addressed serious issues, Obama returned Netanyahu鈥檚 favor by repeatedly referring to him by his nickname, 鈥淏ibi.鈥�

In answer to a question about differences between the two leaders about Iran, the Israeli leader referred to what he said is a public 鈥渕isunderstanding about time鈥� as it relates to Iran鈥檚 nuclear program.

Netanyahu called 鈥渃orrect鈥� Obama鈥檚 recent statement to Israeli television that Iran would need a year or so to build a nuclear weapon if it decided to do so. But he also said, as he has in the past, that Iran could reach what Israel sees as an unacceptable 鈥渋mmunity zone鈥� before it actually built a nuclear bomb.

Iran 鈥渉as not yet reached the red line I described in my speech鈥� at the United Nations last September, he said, adding that Iran is still getting closer. At the UN General Assembly, Netanyahu said Iran was on track to cross Israel鈥檚 鈥渞ed line鈥� this spring or early summer.

Instead of outlining any differences with Obama, Netanyahu underscored his appreciation of the president鈥檚 recognition of Israel鈥檚 鈥渁bsolute right鈥� to defend itself.

Following the press conference, Obama was to have dinner and more talks with Netanyahu. On Thursday, Obama will deliver a speech 鈥渢o the Israeli people鈥� 鈥� in which he said he would have more to say about the goal of a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The president will also cross over into the West Bank Thursday to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

Obama repeated in the press conference what he said before leaving Washington, that this trip was to be a 鈥渓istening tour鈥� for him to get a better idea of conditions in the region and to gauge what might be possible, for example in terms of any renewed Mideast peace initiative. (His 2009 visit to Cairo for a landmark speech to the world鈥檚 Muslims predated the Arab Awakening.)

It was the reports of chemical-weapons use in Syria that have cast a shadow over the current trip and suggest it might have to be more than a 鈥渓istening tour.鈥� Israeli intelligence sources were insisting a chemical attack had occurred, even as US officials continued Wednesday to cast doubt on the reports.

Back in Washington, some congressional voices were nudging the president along, insisting that even some very minimal use of a chemical agent would warrant a swift US response. Rep. Mike Rogers (R) of Michigan, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said Tuesday there was a high probability the Assad regime had used chemical weapons, and he suggested the US should act now to take out any future ability to do so.

Despite the serious issues on their agenda, Obama and Netanyahu suggested by their lighthearted banter that they were both aware their publics were watching for signs of the much-reported tensions between them.

Obama even quipped to Netanyahu that he especially appreciated the Israel trip as an opportunity 鈥渢o get away from Congress.鈥�

It was a joke Netanyahu said he could appreciate 鈥� since the Israeli leader, having suffered a setback in January parliamentary elections, has just come out of more than a month of tough negotiations and bargaining to form a government.

The two leaders even got around to deriding each other鈥檚 physical attributes. At the press conference, Obama noted that he had had the pleasure of meeting Netanyahu鈥檚 two sons 鈥� 鈥渨ho clearly got their looks from their mother.鈥�

Netanyahu quickly responded with, 鈥淚 could say the same of your daughters!,鈥� to which a grinning Obama could only add, 鈥淭his is true.鈥�