Oren Expresses Excitement About President’s Israel Trip

John Tackeff — March 19, 2013 – 1:36 pm | Barack Obama | Foreign Policy | Israel Comments (0) Add a comment

As President Barack Obama embarks on his first trip to Israel as President, Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, has spent the week praising the President’s deep commitment to the U.S.-Israel relationship and preparing for the President’s arrival. In a column published on CNN.com, Ambassador Oren highlighted the significance of the President’s itinerary of the and the importance of this visit to the deep relationship between our two countries.

The message, however, will be the same: America remains committed to security and peace in the Middle East and dedicated to a safe and recognized Jewish state of Israel. Israel will show its appreciation for that resolve when President Shimon Peres bestows on our visitor Israel’s highest civilian medal, the Presidential Medal of Distinction. By the time Air Force One takes off from Ben Gurion Airport, it will undoubtedly leave behind an Israeli people profoundly affected and reassured.

Over the weekend, Ambassador Oren made numerous media appearances expressing his optimism for President Obama’s upcoming trip to Israel.  Speaking to Israel’s Channel Two, Ambassador Oren stated that President Obama is deeply committed to a strong U.S.-Israel relationship and that his trip will come with a message of “deep support,” according to The Jerusalem Post.  While explaining the trip’s itinerary, including President Obama’s visit to the Dead Sea Scrolls at the Israel Museum, Ambassador Oren stated that President Obama’s trip reflects a strong belief in Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people. “[Obama’s visit to] the ancient Dead Sea Scrolls… sends a message to the world about the Jewish state’s deep roots in this region.”  Ambassador Oren said that he felt that this trip is very important for the Jewish state as a whole; “It gives a significant endorsement to the Zionist idea,”

On Meet The Press, Ambassador Oren further expressed his excitement about the President’s trip to Israel. Ambassador Oren said by traveling to the Middle East at the current time, President Obama is sending a strong message of solidarity with Israel to the region.  He made it clear that President Obama is sending a message of assurance to Israel and that ties continue to remain “deep” and “unbreakable.”  He said, “A Presidential visit to Israel is not as common as people think. I think it is very timely, it’s coming right as the boiling point is around the Middle East.” Ambassador Oren noted during the interview that President Reagan never visited Israel, and that President Bush only visited in the last six months of his presidency.

The fact that President Obama selected Israel for the first international trip of his second term is very important to Israelis, according to a tweet from Ambassador Oren: “Obama’s visit is immensely meaningful to Israelis. It will reinforce Israel’s legitimacy & reassure a nation facing monumental challenges.”

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