Tagged: Israel

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. Good morning, I'm David Greene.

Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, is in Israel today. He spent the morning meeting with Israeli and Palestinian officials, and he paid a visit to the historic Wailing Wall. Romney, just a few minutes ago, wrapped up a speech near the Old City in Jerusalem. And in it he talked of his commitment to stand side by side with the Israeli government on Iran.

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Mitt Romney flies to Israel this weekend on the second leg of his overseas tour. He'll meet with top Israeli officials as well as the Palestinian prime minister.

Romney's supporters in Israel say the Republican presidential candidate is using the trip to court the Jewish vote, which went overwhelmingly for Barack Obama in 2008.

The Kalandia checkpoint between Jerusalem and Ramallah in the West Bank is best known as a flashpoint between Palestinian protesters and Israeli security forces. Images of masked youths throwing rocks by the painted concrete wall here are ubiquitous.

Protesters gathered at Kalandia again last week, but their focus wasn't Israeli soldiers: It was Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.