US proud to be your ally: Obama in Israel
21 March 2013 7:41 AM IST
President Barack Obama plunged into the turbulent Middle East on a mission aimed primarily at assuring America’s top ally in the region and its friends back home that it will not be forsaken amid bitter domestic political squabbles and budget crises in Washington.
Obama arrived Wednesday in Israel for his first visit to the country and only his second to the Middle East, outside of a quick jaunt to Iraq, since taking office. He will also be making his first trips as president to the Palestinian Authority and Jordan this week. But on an itinerary laden more with symbolism than substance, an Israel that is increasingly wary of developments in Syria and Iran is Obama's main focus.
Air Force One touched down in Tel Aviv early Wednesday afternoon after an overnight flight from Washington. Among those there to greet him were President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. After an arrival ceremony at the airport, Obama headed to Jerusalem for meetings with Israeli leaders.
Obama arrived to face an Israeli leadership and public anxious to hear the president affirm America’s commitment to the security of the Jewish state while standing on their soil. Obama sparred frequently with Netanyahu over the Palestinian peace process during his first term. And despite public assurances from both sides that relations otherwise remained solid, the president endured four years of criticism from pro-Israel advocates and conservatives in the US and numerous commentators in Israel for not doing enough to back the Mideast’s only stable democracy in the face of growing threats to its existence.
So even though U.S. officials have set expectations low and previewed no significant policy announcements, there is a clear metric to measure the success of Obama’s three-day stay in Israel and the West Bank: how much he is able to reverse the perception that his administration is not fully committed to Israel’s security.
Obama arrived Wednesday in Israel for his first visit to the country and only his second to the Middle East, outside of a quick jaunt to Iraq, since taking office. He will also be making his first trips as president to the Palestinian Authority and Jordan this week. But on an itinerary laden more with symbolism than substance, an Israel that is increasingly wary of developments in Syria and Iran is Obama's main focus.
Air Force One touched down in Tel Aviv early Wednesday afternoon after an overnight flight from Washington. Among those there to greet him were President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. After an arrival ceremony at the airport, Obama headed to Jerusalem for meetings with Israeli leaders.
Obama arrived to face an Israeli leadership and public anxious to hear the president affirm America’s commitment to the security of the Jewish state while standing on their soil. Obama sparred frequently with Netanyahu over the Palestinian peace process during his first term. And despite public assurances from both sides that relations otherwise remained solid, the president endured four years of criticism from pro-Israel advocates and conservatives in the US and numerous commentators in Israel for not doing enough to back the Mideast’s only stable democracy in the face of growing threats to its existence.
So even though U.S. officials have set expectations low and previewed no significant policy announcements, there is a clear metric to measure the success of Obama’s three-day stay in Israel and the West Bank: how much he is able to reverse the perception that his administration is not fully committed to Israel’s security.
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