JERUSALEM, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Israeli security forces are gearing up for a planned historic visit of U.S. President Barack Obama to Israel, slated for March 20.
The security forces are making final arrangements to secure Obama's visit.
On Sunday, a meeting was held to coordinate security measures for the upcoming visit.
For his part, police chief Yohanan Danino said that the police, who are in charge of securing the visit, will follow a draconian and strict security protocol and try at the same time to make it easy on the lives of Jerusalem's residents.
"This is an operation of a national scale," Danino told Israeli media.
"But we must do everything we can to reduce the impact on residents with proper planning," he said.
In addition, according to Netanyahu's spokesman Lior Dan, who is the head of the National Information Directorate, Israel is preparing for hosting hundreds of journalists that will arrive in the country during Obama's visit.
According to a general itinerary schedule distributed by the government's Press Office, Obama is set to arrive at the International Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv on March 20.
During the visit, Obama will meet with Israeli President Shimon Peres and have dinner with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
On March 21, Obama will visit the Israel museum and meet with the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah.
He will also deliver a speech to hundreds of youths in Jerusalem's International Conventions Center. The Obama's tour will be wrapped up on March 22 by visiting the tomb of late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin followed by a visit in the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum in the city.
|
