President Barack Obama is declaring common cause with Israel, highlighting the bonds between the United States and its Mideast ally. He says he has made Israel the first stop of the first trip of his second term to restate his commitment to Israel's security.

 

Preparations for the arrival of President Barack Obama at the president's residence in Jerusalem, Israel.
Preparations for the arrival of President Barack Obama at the president's residence in Jerusalem, Israel. (Uriel Sinai/Getty Images)
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Obama arrived Wednesday in Tel Aviv, joking to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu that he was "getting away from Congress."

Israeli President Shimon Peres welcomed Obama, declaring that "A world without America's leadership, without her moral voice, would be a darker world. A world without your friendship, would invite aggression against Israel."

Obama called the U.S. Israel's "strongest ally and your greatest friend."

In a veiled reference to tensions and regime changes in the region, he added: "The winds of change bring both promise and peril."

(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved)

 

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