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Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Q. and A. on Obama’s Trip to Israel

Jodi Rudoren, Jerusalem bureau chief of The New York Times, answered questions from readers, including on Facebook and Twitter, on the first day of President Obama’s trip to Israel as president. Some questions below are composites of similar questions posed by readers.

Q.

Why didn’t Mr. Obama visit Israel during his first term as president
Tim Freeman: Wow! He went his whole first term without visiting them That seems strange, as they’re our closest ally in the Middle East.

A.

It may not be as strange as it sounds. Only four of the last 11 American presidents visited Israel while in office: Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton in their first terms, Richard Nixon and George W. Bush in their second.

In addition, President Obama’s early efforts on the peace process did not work well, and tensions increased between him and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, so a visit may have seemed inappropriate. Second, Mr. Obama was dealing with a lot of other pressing matters, including health care reform, the economic crisis, the Arab Spring.

Q.

Will President Obama discuss human rights issues in the Palestinian territories

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A.

President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad of the Palestinian Authority will almost certainly talk about the ways that Israeli occupation affects the daily lives of people in both the West Bank and Gaza during their meetings in Ramallah on Thursday. Mr. Obama may also hear stories about checkpoints, travel restrictions, withheld salaries and other quality-of-life issues from the young people he will be meeting at a United States-financed center.

When Mr. Obama’s visit was announced, some analysts thought the United States might take the opportunity to try to force changes in the way Israel rules the part of the West Bank known as Area C, where most settlers live. But more recently the focus has been on whether Mr. Obama would try to negotiate a possible freeze in Israeli settlement building in exchange for a Palestinian promise not to pursue claims against Israel in United Nations agencies like the International Criminal Court.

Several Palestinians I interviewed on Tuesday in Ramallah invoked the American civil rights legacy as a reason Mr. Obama should take particular interest in the discrimination they see as inherent in the current situation. It will be interesting to see whether the president raises Palestinian rights during his public statements from the West Bank on Thursday, or in his speech back in Jerusalem later in the day.

Q.

Will Mr. Obama promise anything to the Palestinians during his trip

A.

Ah, if only news reporters had a crystal ball. The White House has described the trip as a listening mission and promised no new peace plan. The president may make broad commitments along the lines of serving as an honest broker between the sides, but any sort of specific promise would appear unlikely.

Q.

Is the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, showing any sign that he will negotiate with the Palestinians

A.

Mr. Netanyahu has repeatedly stated in the weeks since Israel’s Jan. 22 elections that he is ready to return to negotiations, and he included a promise to do so in one of the agreements that formed his new governing coalition. However, he insists on “no preconditions” - and he considers as a precondition the Palestinians’ demand that the negotiations start on the basis that the future two states would be divided along the pre-1967 borders, with land swaps to balance Israeli settlements.

President Obama could seek to break this stalemate, perhaps by redefining the very notion of a precondition.

Mood might be the more interesting question. Mr. Netanyahu has just emerged from a bruising couple of months, after a disappointing election result and an even tougher coalition-building process. He is looking for a boost. Given the makeup of his coalition, which is fiercely divided on how to deal with the Palestinians, it’s in some ways hard to see this as the first thing he would try to tackle.

Then again, to let President Obama come and go without there being any perceptible movement in the peace process may be dangerous for Israel’s international position. The conventional wisdom about Mr. Netanyahu is that he is risk-averse, but he also has an impressive ability to surprise.

For instance, he secretly negotiated deals last year first with Shaul Mofaz of Kadima and later with Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu. Those were internal political strategy deals, but maybe a substantive surprise is awaiting us.

Q.

Is Mr. Obama expected to make any statements regarding settlements, the future of Jerusalem and the occupation of the Palestinian territories

A.

It’s hard to imagine the president making a big policy speech in Jerusalem without somehow addressing these issues. Stay tuned on Thursday - nytimes.com will be live-streaming the speech.

Q.

Why is Mr. Obama not visiting the Temple Mount

A.

Of all the holy sites in the area, what Jews call the Temple Mount and Muslims the Noble Sanctuary is perhaps the most contested and therefore the least likely spot for an American president to visit, though “taboo” is putting it too strongly.

The site is revered by Jews as the former location of their two ancient temples and by Muslims for its Dome of the Rock and Al Aksa Mosque. Since Israel captured East Jerusalem during the 1967 war, the compound has been operated by the Waqf, the Muslim religious endowment, with security provided by Israel. Jews are allowed to visit but not to pray there.

The second Palestinian intifada, or uprising, was set off in 2000 by a visit to the site by Ariel Sharon, then the leader of the opposition Likud Party. Lately, more and more Jews have been ascending the Mount, and there have frequently been clashes there.

President Obama is also not visiting the Western Wall, a remnant of the ancient Jewish temple, largely for security reasons. He does plan to go to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem on Friday.

Q.

Will Mr. Obama give more aid to the Palestinians

A.

Washington freed up some $200 million in aid to the Palestinian Authority after plans for Mr. Obama’s trip were unveiled last month. Not sure whether the visit will yield further aid - it does not seem to be high on the agenda.

Q.

What influence can Mr. Obama have on the peace process
Ouadia Satori: Mister Obama, you are the president of the USA and are clothed in immense powers. Can you use them to enforce the two states solutions you seem to believe in Safe trip.

A.

There is wide agreement among Israeli and Palestinian leaders, and Middle East experts, that an American president can exert immense influence on the peace process. That said, there is also a consensus that the process cannot be forced on the principals. Those who continue to work for a negotiated solution say it is a delicate, intangible, complicated balancing act, how to leverage change, how to lead, and make people feel as if they are doing it themselves.

Q.

What was the menu for the dinner Mr. Netanyahu held for Mr. Obama

A.

According to Israel’s government press office, Shalom Kadosh, a chef who previously cooked for Presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, prepared the meal President Obama shared Wednesday night with Prime Minister Netanyahu. Here’s the menu:

First course: Ravioli filled with comfit of Jerusalem artichokes; filet of red mullet tossed with green soybeans.

Pink grapefruit and pomegranate sorbet to refresh the palate.

Main course: Roast fillet of beef in aromatic spices and a selection of spring vegetables.

Dessert: Apple crumble mixed with red fruits; Gewurztraminer zabaglione with citrus honey.

Fig and date petits fours with caramelized green almonds; coffee/tea.



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