Aides said he wants to assess the status of the stalled peace processObama arrived in Israel today for his first visit to the country as president. He plans to use the trip to focus attention on the progress of Iran's nuclear program and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. CNN reports:
At an arrival ceremony where he was greeted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres, Obama told the Israeli people that the "United States is proud to stand with you as your strongest ally and your greatest friend."
"Across this region, the winds of change bring both promise and peril," he said in Tel Aviv. "So I see this visit as an opportunity to reaffirm the unbreakable bond between our nations, to restate America's unwavering commitment to Israel's security, and to speak directly to Israel and to your neighbors."
In a quip to Netanyahu, Obama said, "It is nice to get away from Congress," reflecting the chronic political infighting in Washington.
