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MEAN STREETS MEDIA

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Israel News ( Obama to visit Israel and the West Bank )

Barack Obama to vist Israel and the West Bank

President Barack Obama plans to visit Israel, the West Bank and Jordan as part of an upcoming trip to the Middle East.

US President Obama delivers remarks at the White House in Washington
The trip marks President Barack Obama's first visit to Israel, a staunch US ally, since he became president Photo: Reuters

Earlier, Jay Carney, the White House spokesman, confirmed Mr Obama would travel to Israel in the spring, his first trip to the Jewish state since taking office, but dates for the trip were not released.
Mr Obama will meet Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, and Palestinian and Jordanian leaders during the tour, Mr Carney said.
The trip marks Mr Obama's first visit to Israel, a staunch US ally, since he became president.
The White House has not released the date of Obama's trip or details about Obama's itinerary, but Israel's Channel 10 reported that a visit had been scheduled for March 20.
"The start of the president's second term and the formation of a new Israeli government offer the opportunity to reaffirm the deep and enduring bonds between the United States and Israel and to discuss the way forward on a broad range of issues of mutual concern, including Iran and Syria," said National Security Council Spokesman Tommy Vietor. 
Although Mr Obama visited Israel while running for president in 2008, he has not been back since, drawing intense criticism from some pro-Israel groups who have claimed he is insufficiently supportive of the United States' closest ally in the Middle East. Other top administration officials, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have visited.
The trip could help repair Obama's tarnished image in Israel, where many view him as cold to the Jewish state. Israelis vividly remember Obama's decision not to visit when he stopped in neighboring Egypt early in his first term to deliver a speech.

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