Obama to make first trip to Israel as president
(CNN) - President Barack Obama recently discussed an upcoming spring visit to Israel with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney confirmed Tuesday in the daily press briefing.
While overseas, Obama will also visit the West Bank and Jordan "to continue his close work with Palestinian Authority officials and Jordanian officials," Carney added.
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The trip to Israel would mark Obama's first visit as president. While Obama traveled to the country in 2008 during his presidential campaign, he did not visit Israel during his first term.
Carney added "additional details, including dates of travel, will be released at a later time."
The president discussed the visit while on the phone with Netanyahu on January 28, shortly after the prime minister was re-elected for the third time in the country's elections last month.
"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 of course Iran and Syria," Carney said.
Obama campaign aides said last summer that the president would make a trip to Israel should he win re-election.
Obama's not the first president to go to Israel only during his second term. President George W. Bush went to the country in both January and May of 2008, the last year of his presidency.
Meanwhile, former President Bill Clinton visited the country during his first term and former President Jimmy Carter traveled there during his first and only four years in office.
Former President Ronald Reagan did not visit the U.S. ally at all during his two terms.
- CNN's Ashley Killough, Gregory Wallace and Kevin Liptak contributed to this report.
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Antichrist on the move!
Stick to your guns President Obama and don't let the Neocons have a war with Iran, a country of 80 million people. it is time for a Palestinian state. Israel get out of the occupied territories and East Jerusalem. Israel is losing the demographic war. There are over 6 million Palestinians in Israel and the occupied territories. Bush II promised a Palestinian state by 2005 and lied. The theocracy of Israel is doomed. Create a multi-national state, interfaith dialogue, inter-marriage between Jews and Christians and Palestinians. War is only death, destruction, disease, and horror.
PRAISE THE LORD "Ye are ALL ONE in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3: 27 ; Ephesians 2: 14-15)
Fair is Fair
I wonder if Bibi will ditch him for dinner like Obama did to him.
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I don't recall that, but I do recall that the lovefest broke for the week after Bibi waved his fingered in Obama's face and then misrepresented Pres. Obama's position on negotiations. Yes, misrepresented. Netanyahu presented the same position to the US Congress a few days later to a standing ovation. It's been the same position that has been put forth since the 1967 War. No goiing back to pre-1967 borders as a starting point.
when he gets the treaty signed then we know he is the ac.
Weren't the tea partiers just complaining that President Obama hadn't visited Israel yet...now their complaining that he IS going to do so. Republicans/tea baggers make me sick...
Disgusted
And it only took 4 years to visit "a great ally". Nice!
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With allies like Israel, who needs enemies? Really- what has Israel done for the U.S. recently that has assisted issues in the Middle East? Without U.S. aid they would likley cease to exist altogether.
Way to go Pres. You da man. Wonder what the haters and Repugtards / Tealibans are going to say now.
Hillary Cinton 2016
Truman got us into this mess... so now we must tow the line forever. Is there anyone out there who still believes US interests are actually at stake. I doubt it.
The US military is not at the disposal of Ben-Yahoo.
legal
when he gets the treaty signed then we know he is the ac.
February 5, 2013 04:03 pm at 4:03 pm | for sure then
Any bet's he is only going to visit his Muslim brothers?
way to go mr president, visit the country on your terms.they need us we don;t need them, the only reason they still
in charge they is because of us and how do they say thank by syping on us who need friend like that.