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| Obama gives pledge on Israel ties | Obama gives pledge on Israel ties |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| US Democratic White House hopeful Barack Obama has vowed to strengthen US ties with Israel, at the start of a visit to Israel and the West Bank. | US Democratic White House hopeful Barack Obama has vowed to strengthen US ties with Israel, at the start of a visit to Israel and the West Bank. |
| Mr Obama spoke on arrival in Tel Aviv, fresh from visits to Jordan and Iraq. | Mr Obama spoke on arrival in Tel Aviv, fresh from visits to Jordan and Iraq. |
| The senator is due to hold talks with Israeli government and opposition leaders during his two-day visit. | The senator is due to hold talks with Israeli government and opposition leaders during his two-day visit. |
| He is also expected to meet Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, something his Republican rival John McCain did not do on a recent visit to the Middle East | He is also expected to meet Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, something his Republican rival John McCain did not do on a recent visit to the Middle East |
| Mr Obama will meet Mr Abbas and Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in Ramallah on Wednesday afternoon. | Mr Obama will meet Mr Abbas and Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in Ramallah on Wednesday afternoon. |
| Last month Mr Obama angered the Palestinian leadership by saying Jerusalem - which Palestinians want as the capital of a future state - should be Israel's "undivided" capital. | Last month Mr Obama angered the Palestinian leadership by saying Jerusalem - which Palestinians want as the capital of a future state - should be Israel's "undivided" capital. |
| Mr Obama is also scheduled to visit the southern Israeli town of Sderot - the target of many Palestinian militant rocket attacks. | Mr Obama is also scheduled to visit the southern Israeli town of Sderot - the target of many Palestinian militant rocket attacks. |
| The most important thing for me to share is the historic and special relationship between the United States and Israel, one that cannot be broken. BBC's Barack Obama Diary: Barack Obama's world tourForeign policy positionsIraq still dominates US election | The most important thing for me to share is the historic and special relationship between the United States and Israel, one that cannot be broken. BBC's Barack Obama Diary: Barack Obama's world tourForeign policy positionsIraq still dominates US election |
| He is due to leave for Germany early on Thursday. | He is due to leave for Germany early on Thursday. |
| "The most important thing for me to share is the historic and special relationship between the United States and Israel, one that cannot be broken," Mr Obama said after touching down at Tel Aviv airport, AFP news agency reported. | "The most important thing for me to share is the historic and special relationship between the United States and Israel, one that cannot be broken," Mr Obama said after touching down at Tel Aviv airport, AFP news agency reported. |
| "One that I have affirmed throughout my career and one that I will intend to not only continue but strengthen in an Obama administration." | "One that I have affirmed throughout my career and one that I will intend to not only continue but strengthen in an Obama administration." |
| BBC Middle East correspondent Paul Wood says Mr Obama is in the region in part to burnish his credentials on foreign policy and among Jewish Democratic Party voters ahead of November's US presidential election. | BBC Middle East correspondent Paul Wood says Mr Obama is in the region in part to burnish his credentials on foreign policy and among Jewish Democratic Party voters ahead of November's US presidential election. |
| Our correspondent says the presumptive Democratic nominee is also facing a wider US electorate, of whom 10% think he is a Muslim, according to a recent opinion poll. | Our correspondent says the presumptive Democratic nominee is also facing a wider US electorate, of whom 10% think he is a Muslim, according to a recent opinion poll. |
| Some also believe he was educated in a madrassa (Islamic religious school) and refused to place his hand on the Bible when sworn into the Senate - all false claims, says our correspondent. | Some also believe he was educated in a madrassa (Islamic religious school) and refused to place his hand on the Bible when sworn into the Senate - all false claims, says our correspondent. |
| Mr Obama arrived in Israel on Tuesday night from neighbouring Jordan, where he met King Abdullah. | Mr Obama arrived in Israel on Tuesday night from neighbouring Jordan, where he met King Abdullah. |
| He earlier joined a US congressional delegation on a visit to Iraq, where he met Sunni tribal leaders in Anbar province and Prime Minister Nouri Maliki in Baghdad. | He earlier joined a US congressional delegation on a visit to Iraq, where he met Sunni tribal leaders in Anbar province and Prime Minister Nouri Maliki in Baghdad. |
| He repeated his goal of withdrawing US combat troops from Iraq within 16 months should he become president. | He repeated his goal of withdrawing US combat troops from Iraq within 16 months should he become president. |
| Back in the US, Republican presidential hopeful John McCain said Mr Obama had been wrong to press for withdrawal timetables. | Back in the US, Republican presidential hopeful John McCain said Mr Obama had been wrong to press for withdrawal timetables. |
| Are you in Israel? Are you following Obama's world tour? | |
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