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| As Obama prepares to visit Israel, there are mixed emotions on both sides | As Obama prepares to visit Israel, there are mixed emotions on both sides |
| (4 months later) | |
| Israeli: Zohar Soloman, 32, at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem | Israeli: Zohar Soloman, 32, at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem |
| Two days before Obama's visit, the midwife has taken the day off to visit the museum with her two eldest children and her husband. The streets outside are festooned with American and Israeli flags. | Two days before Obama's visit, the midwife has taken the day off to visit the museum with her two eldest children and her husband. The streets outside are festooned with American and Israeli flags. |
| She said: "President Obama's visit is a good thing; it shows that he 'cares'. He is at least trying outwardly to show that he is a friend of Bibi's. And it's important for us to have him on side. | She said: "President Obama's visit is a good thing; it shows that he 'cares'. He is at least trying outwardly to show that he is a friend of Bibi's. And it's important for us to have him on side. |
| He will see the people of Israel up close. He will see Israel is more than the strong, powerful, developed country people think; it is small and endangered. Everyone is talking about us giving up land and cities to the Palestinians and he will see now that this means evacuating people from their homes. | He will see the people of Israel up close. He will see Israel is more than the strong, powerful, developed country people think; it is small and endangered. Everyone is talking about us giving up land and cities to the Palestinians and he will see now that this means evacuating people from their homes. |
| "I think his agenda is pro-Palestinian but he is trying to keep that in check. It was facetious of him to believe that there could so easily be peace in the Middle East. But I think he knows better now – we are not ready yet. We don't have the right leaders on either side." | "I think his agenda is pro-Palestinian but he is trying to keep that in check. It was facetious of him to believe that there could so easily be peace in the Middle East. But I think he knows better now – we are not ready yet. We don't have the right leaders on either side." |
| Palestinian: Abu Ramdan, 24, Arab Quarter, Jerusalem's Old City | Palestinian: Abu Ramdan, 24, Arab Quarter, Jerusalem's Old City |
| Abu Ramdan runs a shop in the Old City shuk that has been in his family for more than 450 years. The father of three lives in Hebron but works in Jerusalem. | Abu Ramdan runs a shop in the Old City shuk that has been in his family for more than 450 years. The father of three lives in Hebron but works in Jerusalem. |
| "I've been speaking with my family about nothing but Obama for the past three weeks. He was a Muslim once but now he wants nothing to do with us. He is a friend only to the Jews. | "I've been speaking with my family about nothing but Obama for the past three weeks. He was a Muslim once but now he wants nothing to do with us. He is a friend only to the Jews. |
| "He will pass by my shop on the way to pray at the Wailing Wall. What I really need is for him to buy something from me, to shake my hand. But the Israeli police will shut my shop for two hours during his visit. The Western Wall will be cleared. Al-Aqsa mosque will be cleared. He won't meet any real people." | "He will pass by my shop on the way to pray at the Wailing Wall. What I really need is for him to buy something from me, to shake my hand. But the Israeli police will shut my shop for two hours during his visit. The Western Wall will be cleared. Al-Aqsa mosque will be cleared. He won't meet any real people." |
| Israeli: Michal Tuvia, 48, Ben Gurion airport, Tel Aviv | Israeli: Michal Tuvia, 48, Ben Gurion airport, Tel Aviv |
| Michal lives in Mata, near Kfar Sabar, where she trains teachers to work with young children. She is waiting for her sister to arrive from Jamaica. | Michal lives in Mata, near Kfar Sabar, where she trains teachers to work with young children. She is waiting for her sister to arrive from Jamaica. |
| "I think Obama's visit is a good thing. I've hoped for a long time that he would put pressure on our government to renew the peace process with the Palestinians. I don't think anything will happen, I don't believe our new government will do anything to move towards peace unless they are forced to. And if there is anyone who can do this, it is our friend, the president of the United States. | "I think Obama's visit is a good thing. I've hoped for a long time that he would put pressure on our government to renew the peace process with the Palestinians. I don't think anything will happen, I don't believe our new government will do anything to move towards peace unless they are forced to. And if there is anyone who can do this, it is our friend, the president of the United States. |
| "I think he tried to work towards peace in his first term but Netanyahu is a difficult man to deal with. It's a problem. Who knows what will actually come of this trip, but there is more chance of progress with him here than without him. Of course, Clinton was more popular here. We loved Clinton." | "I think he tried to work towards peace in his first term but Netanyahu is a difficult man to deal with. It's a problem. Who knows what will actually come of this trip, but there is more chance of progress with him here than without him. Of course, Clinton was more popular here. We loved Clinton." |
| Palestinian: Dr Mohamed Jadallah, 72, Beit Safafa, East Jerusalem | Palestinian: Dr Mohamed Jadallah, 72, Beit Safafa, East Jerusalem |
| The surgeon stands outside a tent protesting against the Israeli construction of a road joining Jerusalem to the settlements, cutting through the Palestinian town of Beit Safafa, where he lives. | The surgeon stands outside a tent protesting against the Israeli construction of a road joining Jerusalem to the settlements, cutting through the Palestinian town of Beit Safafa, where he lives. |
| "Obama is not welcome in Palestine," he said. "He is coming here to dictate Israel's conditions to our leadership and the Palestinian Authority will be forced to oblige him because of the difficult economic situation they are in. | "Obama is not welcome in Palestine," he said. "He is coming here to dictate Israel's conditions to our leadership and the Palestinian Authority will be forced to oblige him because of the difficult economic situation they are in. |
| "Obama presented himself very fashionably in the first few months of his first term. But since then, he has proved himself to be the worst of all US presidents. | "Obama presented himself very fashionably in the first few months of his first term. But since then, he has proved himself to be the worst of all US presidents. |
| "He is the first in history to use a veto against us at the United Nations. | "He is the first in history to use a veto against us at the United Nations. |
| "If he comes to visit Al-Aqsa mosque he would go under the guidance, the security and the so-called sovereignty of Israel. He would be recognising their illegal annexation of Jerusalem. If he will do that, he will spark the third Intifada – there would be a waterfall of blood. In order for him to do any good on this visit he would need to recognise us as a nation and acknowledge that we have rights. But he is not ready to listen." | "If he comes to visit Al-Aqsa mosque he would go under the guidance, the security and the so-called sovereignty of Israel. He would be recognising their illegal annexation of Jerusalem. If he will do that, he will spark the third Intifada – there would be a waterfall of blood. In order for him to do any good on this visit he would need to recognise us as a nation and acknowledge that we have rights. But he is not ready to listen." |
| Israeli: Boaz Cohen, 27, and his wife, Moria, 26, at the Western Wall, Jerusalem | Israeli: Boaz Cohen, 27, and his wife, Moria, 26, at the Western Wall, Jerusalem |
| Boaz and Moria live in Shadmot Mehola, a nationalist-religious settlement in the West Bank. They have come to the Western Wall to pray, as Obama is due to do. | Boaz and Moria live in Shadmot Mehola, a nationalist-religious settlement in the West Bank. They have come to the Western Wall to pray, as Obama is due to do. |
| "Obama doesn't like Israel. We want him to free Jonathan Pollard, the Israeli spy, but he won't because it gives him a powerful hand. He says to us you want Pollard? Well don't build in the Jordan Valley. | "Obama doesn't like Israel. We want him to free Jonathan Pollard, the Israeli spy, but he won't because it gives him a powerful hand. He says to us you want Pollard? Well don't build in the Jordan Valley. |
| George Bush was better. He is a Protestant and Protestants love Israel. I don't know what Obama is. The bible says that Israel is the land of the Jews but Obama just wants quiet. He might help Israel, but only if it is in the interests of America to do so. He only does things in order for people to like him. | George Bush was better. He is a Protestant and Protestants love Israel. I don't know what Obama is. The bible says that Israel is the land of the Jews but Obama just wants quiet. He might help Israel, but only if it is in the interests of America to do so. He only does things in order for people to like him. |
| "Israel doesn't have a real friend in Obama. | "Israel doesn't have a real friend in Obama. |
| "I don't think his visit will do much good. It will be terrible for traffic in Jerusalem and he will probably force the government to make decisions that will compromise our nation." | "I don't think his visit will do much good. It will be terrible for traffic in Jerusalem and he will probably force the government to make decisions that will compromise our nation." |
| Palestinian: Miral Hasna, 14, Qalandiya checkpoint, Ramallah | Palestinian: Miral Hasna, 14, Qalandiya checkpoint, Ramallah |
| Miral lives in Ramallah but travels through Qalandiya checkpoint every day to get to school in Jersualem. She is a member of the model United Nations. | Miral lives in Ramallah but travels through Qalandiya checkpoint every day to get to school in Jersualem. She is a member of the model United Nations. |
| "It is of course a great pleasure to have such a great leader come to Palestine and I hope he enjoys his stay here. | "It is of course a great pleasure to have such a great leader come to Palestine and I hope he enjoys his stay here. |
| "I would like him to see how beautiful our country is. I also want him to see the difficulties we face here, the checkpoints, the fact the checkpoints are often closed for hours – the reality of the occupation, not just the paradise that Israelis live on the other side. | "I would like him to see how beautiful our country is. I also want him to see the difficulties we face here, the checkpoints, the fact the checkpoints are often closed for hours – the reality of the occupation, not just the paradise that Israelis live on the other side. |
| "He is one of the most important men in the world. He could help us financially, at the United Nations. We have many socio-economic problems here. But I don't think he will spend much time in Palestine or speak with our leaders. I think he will stay in Israel and see only that aspect of this place. He has not done much for the Palestinian people so far. | "He is one of the most important men in the world. He could help us financially, at the United Nations. We have many socio-economic problems here. But I don't think he will spend much time in Palestine or speak with our leaders. I think he will stay in Israel and see only that aspect of this place. He has not done much for the Palestinian people so far. |
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