Imagine that you are interviewing a Very Important Israeli Politician in his spacious and well-appointed Tel Aviv office. A security officer stands near the door behind you, arms crossed over his chest and a little communications device stuck in his ear. There are dozens of framed photos of the VIIP shaking hands with various world leaders and VIPs hung on the walls.

Then imagine that the VIIP, while mulling over the answer to a question, slowly raises his index finger to the side of his nose, scrapes off a piece of dry skin, rolls it between his index finger and thumb and then examines it as he answers the question.

Would you be, perhaps, a little disconcerted?