WASHINGTON — The thundering ovations, slickly produced videos and legions of lawmakers were the same as ever. But something was missing as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee convened here this week for its annual conference: tension.

Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, in back-to-back speeches on Monday, sought to smooth over any friction between the United States and Israel, three weeks before President Obama makes his first trip as president to Jerusalem.

“No president has done as much to physically secure the state of Israel as President Barack Obama,” Mr. Biden said to 13,000 cheering supporters of Aipac, the nation’s most influential pro-Israel lobbying group. Mr. Netanyahu, speaking via satellite from Israel, said he looked forward to thanking Mr. Obama when he travels there later in March.

The elaborate display of harmony was a departure from recent years, when the Aipac conference often showcased tensions between the Obama administration and Mr. Netanyahu over Jewish settlements in the West Bank or how best to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions.