Israel, West Bank in preparations for first official Obama visit

  • 11 years ago
Rolling out the red carpet.

Preparations were underway in Jerusalem Monday to welcome Barack Obama.

He arrives Wednesday for a three day visit to Israel, the occupied West Bank and Jordan, where he'll meet separately with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.

Nadav Tamir is foreign policy advisor to Israeli President Shimon Peres.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) NADAV TAMIR, FOREIGN POLICY ADVISOR TO PRESIDENT SHIMON PERES, SAYING:

"The meeting between them is going to be very heavy. I would say loaded with the issues of the times."

Israel has beefed up security, deploying over 15,000 police.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) ISRAELI POLICE FOREIGN MEDIA SPOKESMAN MIKI ROSENFELD SAYING:

"There are no specific warnings that we've received in connection with the important visit, this being the most important and significant visit here in Israel since President Bush's visit here in 2008 and the Pope's visit in 2009".

But no red carpet in the West Bank, where Pal

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