Obama to visit Israel
President Obama will visit Israel this spring.
White House spokesman Jay Carney made the announcement today during a press briefing at the executive mansion.
He said the president discussed the trip in a phone call last week with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He also will visit the West Bank and Jordan.
No specific date for the trip was announced.
“We are proud of the president’s unprecedentedly pro-Israel record and this upcoming trip will provide President Obama with yet another opportunity to affirm the unbreakable bond between the U.S. and Israel,” National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) Chair Marc R. Stanley said in a prepared statement.
That the president had not visited Israel during his first term became a hot issue during the 2012 presidential campaign.
Obama last visited Israel in 2008 when he was running for his first term as president.
His new secretary of state, John Kerry, also is slated to visit the region.
The Chronicle will provide more details as they become available.
comments