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How are Israelis and Palestinians Preparing for Obama’s Visit? We Have the ‘Icy’ Details

Feb. 27, 2013 7:22am

Put aside the strained character of President Barack Obama’s relations with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the past four years. Israelis, Palestinians and the U.S. Embassy are now engaged in intense preparations to make the president’s visit a memorable one next month. It’s also being viewed as an opportunity to turn a new page in relations.

Here is how some on the ground are (and are not) rolling out the red carpet for Obama:

Special Logo and Slogan
The Prime Minister’s Office has rolled out a special logo and slogan. The visit is officially being branded “Unbreakable Alliance.” After inviting the public to vote on Facebook from among three choices, this was the logo that was chosen, in which red, white and blue graphics merge the U.S. and Israeli flags.

This Is How Israelis and Palestinians Are Preparing for Obama’s Visit – POTUS Ice Sculpture and AllThese were the candidates:

This Is How Israelis and Palestinians Are Preparing for Obama’s Visit – POTUS Ice Sculpture and AllIce Sculpture of Obama
If getting a glimpse of the President of the United States several times a week in the flesh isn’t enough for White House journalists, they will soon get to see an ice sculpture of none other than POTUS that will be set up in Jerusalem. According to Ynet, the Mayor of Jerusalem Nir Barkat is inviting reporters covering the Obama visit to tour Jerusalem holy sites by day and visit its bars and clubs at night. City streets where Obama’s motorcade will pass will be lined with flags and special lighting. The U.S. does not officially recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and therefore along with other countries, has its embassy in Tel Aviv.

“Baruch Haba” = “Welcome” in Hebrew
The U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv got Israelis along the beach to pose in front of a life-size Obama cutout while holding signs in Hebrew, Arabic, Russian and English that say “Welcome.” Ambassador Dan Shapiro posted this message to Israelis on his Facebook page:

If you too want to welcome President Obama to Israel, all you have to do is make your own sign, take a picture or video, and send it to obamawelcometoisrael@gmail.com and we’ll include it in a cool video clip and we’ll post it here and send it to the White House.

Here is part of the montage of photos from Shapiro’s Facebook page:

This Is How Israelis and Palestinians Are Preparing for Obama’s Visit – POTUS Ice Sculpture and All

Palestinians to Obama: Don’t Visit Temple Mount
The welcoming atmosphere isn’t consistently warm.

Palestinian political and religious leaders over the weekend publicly warned Obama against visiting the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem, because it might compromise its “Muslim sovereignty.” That site – known as the Temple Mount – marked the location of the ancient First and Second Temples and is for Jews the holiest site in their religion. Muslims also believe the site is holy, and it houses both the Al-Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock.

AFP reports that the Palestinian media are filled with speculation over whether Obama will visit the site. The U.S. embassy has not said if he will. A senior Palestinian official said any such visit must be coordinated via the Palestinians and Jordanians, not via Israel, even though Israel defines Jerusalem as its capital. Sheikh Akrameh Sabri who heads the higher Islamic council said: “Any visitor is welcome to Al-Aqsa, but they should follow the regulations of the Waqf [Muslim religious trust] and enter through the Lions’ Gate and not through Mughrabi Gate, to ensure Muslim sovereignty.”

“The visit shouldn’t have a political theme to it because Al-Aqsa belongs to Muslims only and it is their place of worship and we refuse that any Israeli official accompanies the visitor,” Sabri added.

Echoing that sentiment is Hamas which released a statement calling a potential Obama visit to the site “a diplomatic catastrophe” and “an imminent danger which the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem have never faced.”

Hamas suggested that such a visit would be even more dangerous than were the U.S. to move its embassy to Jerusalem.

Embassy Flooded with Invitations for Obama
In a radio interview in Hebrew, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro said his embassy has received invitations from many groups wishing to host the president.

At least 20 Facebook groups have been set up, each called “Obama come to…”, inviting the president to various locations around the country. The Associated Press reports, “Some are cheekier than others, like a sports stadium that hosts a team known for its anti-Arab fans, or a Palestinian town in the West Bank that holds weekly protests against Israel’s separation barrier.”

More than 21,000 have “liked” the Facebook page “Speech for Peace” set up by left-wing activists asking the president to make a speech at the site where Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated. Rabin signed the Oslo peace accords with the PLO in 1993. “Join us in our goal to persuade president Obama to speak to hundreds of thousands of Israelis at Rabin square,” the group said.

Yaniv Shacham, one of the page managers tells the AP, “If he knew that he could fill the square with hundreds of thousands of Israelis … he would see there are many Israelis who support the ideas and ideals he represents and certainly the renewal of peace talks.”

Here’s the artwork they created:

This Is How Israelis and Palestinians Are Preparing for Obama’s Visit – POTUS Ice Sculpture and All

Invitations Obama Is Unlikely to Accept
Right-wing Member of Knesset Orit Strook, who is also a Jewish settler in Hebron, used her first Knesset speech to invite Obama to Hebron to better understand the Jewish connection to Judea and Samaria. The Obama administration has publicly criticized the Israeli government for approving housing units for Jews in both the West Bank and east Jerusalem, as have past administrations.

“We would explain to him that the Land of Israel is not just a refuge for Holocaust survivors, but it is the Promised Land for the Jewish people, the land of our forefathers, who are buried in the Cave.” Biblical patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their wives are believed to be buried in he Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron.

Benny Kashriel who is mayor of Maaleh Adumim, a Jewish settlement outside Jerusalem sent an invitation via the U.S. embassy asking Obama to visit the area known as E-1, where Israel plans to one day build more than 3,000 apartments, a plan the Palestinians and the Obama administration have criticized.

Emphasizing the Strong Ties
The White House has not yet released details of the president’s travel schedule, which will also bring him to Jordan. The administration is signaling he won’t be making any major demands of Israel during the trip. On Tuesday, Secretary of State John Kerry said President Barack Obama wants to “listen” when he visits Israel and the Palestinian territories next month. “We’re not going to go and sort of plunk a plan down and tell everybody what they have to do.”

In interviews earlier this month, Ambassador Shapiro emphasized that Israel will be the first stop on Obama’s first overseas trip of his second term, a choice that only underlines the important relationship.

In an interview with Israel Radio, Shapiro said, “The president’s visit will strengthen the ties between Israel and the US.”

“The United States has a special bond with Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East,” he added.

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Comments (65)

1 2
  • jeffile
    Posted on February 27, 2013 at 11:15am

    Obama was born a Muslim (his father was Muslim) and he has since left the faith. Anyone out there know the penalty to be administered by all other Muslims?

    Report this comment

    jeffile  
    • Mr. H.
      Posted on February 27, 2013 at 11:38am

      That would make O an apostate of Islam. Sharia demands that apostates be killed.

      Report this comment

      Mr. H.  
    • DSN397
      Posted on February 27, 2013 at 12:03pm

      JEFFILE Your missing your own key word. (left) the faith. In order to qualify as an apostate of Islam you have to leave the faith. Islam is however, prefectly in line with lying and claimimg to be of another faith as long as the ends justify the means, so he is just as much the martyr as any other American hating muslim.

      Report this comment

      DSN397  
    • Kirby-man
      Posted on February 27, 2013 at 2:58pm

      Actually, his father was not a muslim. His real father was an atheist, communist swine named Frank Marshall Davis. Check out the link, compare the photos, and read the facts.

      http://www.obamasrealfather.com/frank-marshall-davis/

      That does not say that King Obama is not a muslim. He was raised by surrogate fathers in a muslim environment. However, that does not matter. What is important is that Obama continues his march against America’s friends, the American Middle Class, and the U.S. Constitution. It appears that Americans cannot or will not wake up and do the right thing, and this does not bode well for our future!

      Report this comment

      Kirby-man  
  • bamanana
    Posted on February 27, 2013 at 11:06am

    Watch out Americans every time a president speaks or tries to negotiate any land stealing from Israel we suffer some type of natural disaster! Don’t believe me research it! The Jews are Gods chosen people & Israel is their land!

    Report this comment

    bamanana  
    • Trigus
      Posted on February 27, 2013 at 11:09am

      Do you think the Israelis will force Obama’s Security Detail to hand over their Firearms like Barry and his Administration does when Israel’s Prime Minister comes to America?

      Report this comment

      Trigus  
    • flatbroke
      Posted on February 27, 2013 at 2:47pm

      I have have viewed a few programs on the christian t.v. networks on this and beleive as well, also the bible talks about this, in Obadiah (sorry for the spelling) It is real.

      Report this comment

      flatbroke  
  • KickinBack
    Posted on February 27, 2013 at 10:22am

    I’m sorry, but the left-wing “speech for peace” pic of Obama and the masses looks a little uncomfortably like a Nazis rally…

    Report this comment

    KickinBack  
  • KickinBack
    Posted on February 27, 2013 at 10:16am

    That’s not a cardboard cutout of Obama they’re posing with. That’s the real deal. A fake, empty suit.

    Report this comment

    KickinBack  
  • tzion
    Posted on February 27, 2013 at 10:14am

    You know, as sickening as these displays are, knowing the size of Obama’s ego this might be a good idea. Obama can’t resist a campaign and here Israel is giving him a prime opportunity. Should be enough to keep him distracted for a few days so he can’t interfere with Israeli affairs as much. Certainly better than antagonizing someone as arrogant as him (though he certainly would deserve it).

    Report this comment

    tzion  
    • txannie
      Posted on February 27, 2013 at 11:11am

      Why is everyone afraid to ‘offend’ obaba? What make him so special as to deserve ‘special’ treatment so as not to offend him when he so easily and arrogantly offends at will?

      Report this comment

      txannie  
  • royzer
    Posted on February 27, 2013 at 10:09am

    Matthew 24:15-16 comes to mind instantly for me. Am I alone?

    Report this comment

    royzer  
  • tzion
    Posted on February 27, 2013 at 10:07am

    They are teasing me with that ice sculpture. If only the real thing melted just as easily.

    Report this comment

    tzion  
  • Listen_then_think
    Posted on February 27, 2013 at 9:43am

    Hopefully they take him straight to the west bank and the limo he drives in high centers on some tires or rocket debris. Then obamadinejad can have a face to face with the peaceful hamas, hezbollah palestinians.

    Report this comment

    Listen_then_think  
  • CONSERVIDUDE
    Posted on February 27, 2013 at 9:36am

    Is that Obama cutout part of the “No Hesitation” line of targets?

    Report this comment

    CONSERVIDUDE  
  • FlagWavingPatriot
    Posted on February 27, 2013 at 9:31am

    Perhaps someone over there will ask this anti-American Marxist why he is so committed to weakening and dismantling our military/nuclear capabilities, all the while stalling so North Korea and Iran can strengthen theirs.

    Or maybe someone will ask how America’s military (and support of Israel’s) has a future when the interest on the debt alone will soon pass the entire DOD budget.

    God knows nobody here is going to ask him any real questions.

    Report this comment

    FlagWavingPatriot  
  • Thundergod
    Posted on February 27, 2013 at 9:21am

    Hopefully with sniper rifles trained on that big ‘X’ Obama will be standing on.

    Report this comment

    Thundergod  
    • ECOMCON
      Posted on February 27, 2013 at 11:43am

      Careful.

      Don’t answer the door for the next month. The Secret Service guys monitor everything.

      Report this comment

      ECOMCON  
  • AUsername
    Posted on February 27, 2013 at 9:06am

    Obama do something right for a change and tell Netanyahu not to bomb Iran because there just like you in the fact that they have been attacked by their neighbors. Also after this trip Obama should go talk in Iran to throw water on the fire and hopefully prevent a war.

    Report this comment

    AUsername  
    • barber2
      Posted on February 27, 2013 at 9:11am

      Oh, AUSER…I sure hope Obama does ! I’m sure if Obama is just nice to Iran, they will listen ! They only hated America because of George Bush ….. ( ho, ho and big eye roll )

      Report this comment

      barber2  
    • Gonzo
      Posted on February 27, 2013 at 9:48am

      Wow, you could be the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. with keen insight like that.

      Report this comment

      Gonzo  
    • tzion
      Posted on February 27, 2013 at 10:05am

      @Auser
      Iran of today is like the Afghanistan of yesterday: they are actively attacking other nations through terrorists acting as proxies. By any reasonable standard, Iran has committed numerous acts of war against Israel. Israel holds no ill will towards Iran and they used to even be on descent terms. Iran had evened unofficially recognized Israel despite voting against the partition plan and even against UN membership. Israel meanwhile had supported Iran over Iraq. Today however, Iran has rescinded its recognition and actively perpetrated acts of terror against Israel and its citizens as well as against other countries.

      Iran may have been a victim 30 years ago but now they are as bad as Iraq was if not worse.

      Report this comment

      tzion  
    • Fubared
      Posted on February 27, 2013 at 11:14am

      A User. The walking, talking billboard of why not to use drugs.

      Report this comment

      Fubared  
  • SpankDaMonkey
    Posted on February 27, 2013 at 8:55am

    .
    Have you ever seen how far one of those Gaza kids can throw a Rock? One can only hope…..

    Report this comment

    SpankDaMonkey  
  • LOJ
    Posted on February 27, 2013 at 8:50am

    Wow, The Israelis are just as naieve as Americans…Roll out the welcome mat for your destroyer and bow down! Unbelieveable….

    Report this comment

    LOJ  
    • rosegrower
      Posted on February 27, 2013 at 12:12pm

      I think they’re just being polite – they are just as aware of Obama’s real agenda as the informed people of the US are.

      Report this comment

      rosegrower  
  • redfish52
    Posted on February 27, 2013 at 8:47am

    There are two reasons why we have such a strong military presence in the Middle East. 1- Oil…no doubt about it. 2- Some day Israel will fall to Muslim extremest and we will loose our Christian foothold in the region. Right or wrong we as Christian’s have been fighting a Holy War for hundreds of years and will continue for hundreds to come. Remember, the Muslim’s overtook Christian Forces and took over Jerusalem to which eventually the Christian’s took it back…it will happen again. We have to have a foothold n the Middle East or it will turn into a Muslim Extremist Paradise and massive bloodshed to cleanse the region of what they believe are non-believers.

    Report this comment

    redfish52  
  • RANGER1965
    Posted on February 27, 2013 at 8:34am

    Somthing is in the works here.

    I suggest watching this very closely.

    Report this comment

    RANGER1965  
    • momrules
      Posted on February 27, 2013 at 8:53am

      You’re getting a bad feeling about this too Ranger? I don’t know what I’m expecting but I know it will not be good for Israel.

      Report this comment

      momrules  
    • RANGER1965
      Posted on February 27, 2013 at 10:55am

      @Mom

      With this administration things going bad for Israel are almost a certainty.

      Report this comment

      RANGER1965  
    • Fubared
      Posted on February 27, 2013 at 11:19am

      Netenyahu is pushing for international military action if Iran doesn’t scale back on nukes. Setting the stage for Israel striking out alone. Sanctions every 6 months have done zip. We shall see.

      Report this comment

      Fubared  
    • everydaywoman
      Posted on February 27, 2013 at 12:04pm

      Yeah, I’m with you guys….I’m just not feeling positive about this. Something’s up.

      Report this comment

      everydaywoman  
    • emberlyawake
      Posted on February 28, 2013 at 6:03am

      “When you see the OBAMAnation of desolation standing in the holy place….” Heh heh heh. What a kuhweenky dink!

      I doubt that Obama will visit the temple Mount. It’s too inflammatory. I’m not sure he has the manacles to take a solid stance on something unless it involves taking away constitutional rights.

      Report this comment

      emberlyawake  
  • mwhaley
    Posted on February 27, 2013 at 8:28am

    For myself, I would love to see Obama bestow hie reverse Midas touch on one of the holy Islam sites. Go for it Prezzie Pookious. go right on in sit right down in the middle that gold dome and say the same things you would say if you were blessing an American business. I dare you.

    Report this comment

    mwhaley  
  • ellietoo
    Posted on February 27, 2013 at 8:23am

    What happened to the United States of America? Our founding fathers fought a revolution to stop imperialism and to be free from a totalitarian dictator yet we now have such idol worship of the president as well as senators and congress people that we may as well just bow to them like these fools who are trying to tout Obama’s favor. Admittedly they are only trying to promote their own agendas but please! He is president, not supreme ruler! A president is supposed to be an overseer of the country not a rock star. Let’s all just hope he doesn’t go to the temple mount and declare himself god!

    Report this comment

    ellietoo  
  • barber2
    Posted on February 27, 2013 at 8:16am

    Oh, goody. Another speechifying media event in the Barack Obama Show. 24 / 7…..

    Report this comment

    barber2  
  • Tri-ox
    Posted on February 27, 2013 at 8:11am

    I wish that the Israelis were PREPARING a prison cell for obama.

    Let’s face it – obama is a sworn enemy of the United States and Israel and a friend to the palestinian terrorists, and all muslim-terrorists. We know exactly what his speech will be like, it will praise islamic-terrorism and be highly critical and inflammatory toward America and Israel – his speech will be dangerous and embarrassing – obama is a thug and a traitor.

    Report this comment

    Tri-ox  
  • bigbear_awake
    Posted on February 27, 2013 at 8:09am

    Palestinian political and religious leaders over the weekend publicly warned Obama against visiting the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem, because it might compromise its “Muslim sovereignty.”
    bho will obay his muslim brothers and not go to the compound in Jerusalem

    Report this comment

    bigbear_awake  
  • nzkiwi
    Posted on February 27, 2013 at 7:55am

    They will be discussing plans for Syria…

    Report this comment

    nzkiwi  
  • Eastinfection
    Posted on February 27, 2013 at 7:41am

    HOW ARE ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS PREPARING FOR OBAMA’S VISIT?

    I guess we can assume that a Pulled- Pork Buffet is out of the question?

    I bet they’re leaving the rough cut extra high so that can laugh while watching POTUS try to find his balls.

    Report this comment

    Eastinfection  
    • Zipit
      Posted on February 27, 2013 at 8:45am

      It’s not easy playing golf when your balls are made of marshmallow!

      Report this comment

      Zipit  
  • ricckky
    Posted on February 27, 2013 at 7:34am

    The liar is a traitor to America and Israel–What a shameful liar and sociopath!!!!!!! The only allegiance this man has is to “destroy America-” What’s wrong with the American people?—uninformed to the max!!!!!

    Report this comment

    ricckky  
  • Gonzo
    Posted on February 27, 2013 at 7:31am

    Netanyahu will show a lot more class in his welcome of The Boy King than will ever be reciprocated by this White House.

    Report this comment

    Gonzo  
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