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| Obama on first Israel trip as president vows 'eternal' alliance | |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| Barack Obama has arrived in Israel for his first trip there as president, saying the US was proud to stand by Israel as its strongest ally. | |
| After landing in Tel Aviv, Mr Obama also referred to the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process, saying "peace must come to the Holy Land". | |
| US officials have tried to lower expectations of any significant headway on restarting the peace process. | |
| Syria, and Iran's nuclear ambitions are expected to loom large in talks. | |
| Correspondents say Israelis are more preoccupied with instability in the wider Middle East region than with breathing new life into the peace process, which broke down in 2010 amid a dispute over continued Israeli settlement construction. | |
| Settlement supporters are a big force in Israel's new coalition government. | Settlement supporters are a big force in Israel's new coalition government. |
| 'Eternal alliance' | |
| Mr Obama was welcomed at Ben Gurion airport by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli President Shimon Peres. | |
| After being introduced to Israeli ministers and dignitaries, Mr Obama said the US would "never lose sight of an Israel at peace with its neighbours". | |
| He added: "The United States stands with Israel because it is in our fundamental security interests to stand with Israel. Our alliance is eternal. It is forever." | |
| Mr Netanyahu said: "Thank you for defending Israel's right to unequivocally defend its right to exist." | |
| Mr Obama is due to hold separate talks with Mr Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during his three-day visit. | |
| At home Mr Obama has been criticised for not having visited Israel in his first term as president, with some saying it shows he is not close enough to the country, says BBC North America editor Mark Mardell, who is in Jerusalem. | At home Mr Obama has been criticised for not having visited Israel in his first term as president, with some saying it shows he is not close enough to the country, says BBC North America editor Mark Mardell, who is in Jerusalem. |
| That is despite his administration's repeated assertion that the two countries share an "unbreakable alliance". | That is despite his administration's repeated assertion that the two countries share an "unbreakable alliance". |
| Thousands of Israeli and Palestinian security officers have been assembled in Jerusalem and the Palestinians' de facto capital in the West Bank city of Ramallah, ahead of his trip. | |
| The state of the economy and social issues dominated Israel's last election, and the president has said he is not going to the region bearing any grand peace plan. | The state of the economy and social issues dominated Israel's last election, and the president has said he is not going to the region bearing any grand peace plan. |
| But with warnings that time is running out for a two-state solution, some still think he will try to lay the ground for some greater effort to restart talks, our correspondent says. | But with warnings that time is running out for a two-state solution, some still think he will try to lay the ground for some greater effort to restart talks, our correspondent says. |
| The president's relationship with Mr Netanyahu has been notoriously frosty and one recent opinion poll suggested a mere 10% of the Israeli public had a favourable opinion of the US president. | The president's relationship with Mr Netanyahu has been notoriously frosty and one recent opinion poll suggested a mere 10% of the Israeli public had a favourable opinion of the US president. |
| The main event of this trip is a speech to the Israeli people - his main task is to build bridges and improve his image, which could give him more leverage over the new Israeli government, our correspondent adds. | The main event of this trip is a speech to the Israeli people - his main task is to build bridges and improve his image, which could give him more leverage over the new Israeli government, our correspondent adds. |
| 'Slap in the face' | 'Slap in the face' |
| On Tuesday Palestinian protesters gathered in Ramallah and Bethlehem, some throwing shoes at images of the president and others driving over his portrait, reports said. | On Tuesday Palestinian protesters gathered in Ramallah and Bethlehem, some throwing shoes at images of the president and others driving over his portrait, reports said. |
| Demonstrator Huwaida Arraf told Reuters news agency that Mr Obama's visit was "a slap in the face". | Demonstrator Huwaida Arraf told Reuters news agency that Mr Obama's visit was "a slap in the face". |
| "People are angry and disappointed that this far into his presidency, Obama has done nothing, and aid to Israel's occupation continues to flow," he said. | "People are angry and disappointed that this far into his presidency, Obama has done nothing, and aid to Israel's occupation continues to flow," he said. |
| Meanwhile, Israeli demonstrators gathered in Jerusalem to demand Mr Obama free Jonathan Pollard, imprisoned in the US in 1987 for spying for Israel. | Meanwhile, Israeli demonstrators gathered in Jerusalem to demand Mr Obama free Jonathan Pollard, imprisoned in the US in 1987 for spying for Israel. |
| "Let my people go," said one banner. | "Let my people go," said one banner. |