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Obama forgoes Knesset address, opts to speak before Israeli students instead
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz, Mar.06, 2013
Senior U.S. officials said that after lengthy discussions of the issue, the White House decided that Obama would instead address students from Israels major universities. The speech will take place at Jerusalems International Convention Center.
Obama attributes great importance to the speech he will deliver while he is here.
In recent weeks, alongside work on drafting the speech itself, the White House has held numerous discussions on where the speech should be given, what audience he should be speaking before, and how these details can bolster the message the speech is intended to deliver. Obamas advisers, along with U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro, consulted both Israelis and Americans on the issue in order to hear a spectrum of opinions.
The Prime Ministers Bureau and a long list of Knesset members told the White House they would like the speech to be given in the Knesset. But according to senior American officials, Obama and his aides decided that the purpose of the speech was to send a message directly to the Israeli public, and especially the younger generation, rather than primarily to politicians.
Therefore, they decided to hold it at the International Convention Center before an audience of 1,500 to 2,000 Israelis. The U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv will compile the list of invitees. Aside from about 300 journalists, most of those invited will be students. The embassy has contacted several universities and allotted them invitations to distribute to their students.
The president is coming to Israel to speak to the people and send a message to the public about the strength of the relationship with the U.S., one senior American official said. He will make it clear in his speech that the U.S. has no lack of domestic political disputes, but when it comes to Israel and its security, the support comes from both ends of the political spectrum.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden mentioned Obamas visit during his speech to the AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington earlier this week. Biden joked that he didnt want to steal Obamas thunder by revealing the content of the presidents planned speech, but said that Obama was looking forward to the opportunity to speak directly to the Israeli people, and especially the younger generation.
The president looks forward to having conversations about their hopes and their aspirations, about their astonishing world-leading technological achievements, about the future they envision for themselves and for their country, about how different the world they face is from the one their parents faced, even if many of the threats are the same, Biden said.
The White House has made it clear in recent days that the progress of negotiations to form a new Israeli government isnt expected to affect the visits timing. Obama will arrive in Israel on March 20, whereas the last date for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form a government is March 16. The timetable of the visit will be finalized in the coming days, but it seems that most of the ceremonial events the visit to Yad Vashem and the laying of wreaths at the Mount Herzl cemetery will be moved to the end of the visit.
Aside from his speech to the Israeli public, Obama plans at least two other media events. At this stage, it looks like he wont grant any interviews to the Israeli media, but will hold two press conferences one after his meeting with Netanyahu in Jerusalem and one after his meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.
Obama forgoes Knesset address, opts to speak before Israeli students instead - Israel News | Haaretz Daily Newspaper
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz, Mar.06, 2013
Senior U.S. officials said that after lengthy discussions of the issue, the White House decided that Obama would instead address students from Israels major universities. The speech will take place at Jerusalems International Convention Center.
Obama attributes great importance to the speech he will deliver while he is here.
In recent weeks, alongside work on drafting the speech itself, the White House has held numerous discussions on where the speech should be given, what audience he should be speaking before, and how these details can bolster the message the speech is intended to deliver. Obamas advisers, along with U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro, consulted both Israelis and Americans on the issue in order to hear a spectrum of opinions.
The Prime Ministers Bureau and a long list of Knesset members told the White House they would like the speech to be given in the Knesset. But according to senior American officials, Obama and his aides decided that the purpose of the speech was to send a message directly to the Israeli public, and especially the younger generation, rather than primarily to politicians.
Therefore, they decided to hold it at the International Convention Center before an audience of 1,500 to 2,000 Israelis. The U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv will compile the list of invitees. Aside from about 300 journalists, most of those invited will be students. The embassy has contacted several universities and allotted them invitations to distribute to their students.
The president is coming to Israel to speak to the people and send a message to the public about the strength of the relationship with the U.S., one senior American official said. He will make it clear in his speech that the U.S. has no lack of domestic political disputes, but when it comes to Israel and its security, the support comes from both ends of the political spectrum.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden mentioned Obamas visit during his speech to the AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington earlier this week. Biden joked that he didnt want to steal Obamas thunder by revealing the content of the presidents planned speech, but said that Obama was looking forward to the opportunity to speak directly to the Israeli people, and especially the younger generation.
The president looks forward to having conversations about their hopes and their aspirations, about their astonishing world-leading technological achievements, about the future they envision for themselves and for their country, about how different the world they face is from the one their parents faced, even if many of the threats are the same, Biden said.
The White House has made it clear in recent days that the progress of negotiations to form a new Israeli government isnt expected to affect the visits timing. Obama will arrive in Israel on March 20, whereas the last date for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form a government is March 16. The timetable of the visit will be finalized in the coming days, but it seems that most of the ceremonial events the visit to Yad Vashem and the laying of wreaths at the Mount Herzl cemetery will be moved to the end of the visit.
Aside from his speech to the Israeli public, Obama plans at least two other media events. At this stage, it looks like he wont grant any interviews to the Israeli media, but will hold two press conferences one after his meeting with Netanyahu in Jerusalem and one after his meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.
Obama forgoes Knesset address, opts to speak before Israeli students instead - Israel News | Haaretz Daily Newspaper
