Back from Ramallah, Obama prepares for main speech

Preamble: It’s been a hectic day for US President Barack Obama, on the second of his three days in Israel.

Before his day began, Gaza terrorists fired four rockets at Israel, one of which landed in the yard of a home in Sderot.

His first trip was to the Israel Museum, to see the Dead Sea Scrolls, and an exhibit on Israeli innovation, where he lingered longer than scheduled, asked questions, and posed for numerous photographs.

Then he went by helicopter to Ramallah for talks with Mahmoud Abbas, where he endorsed Palestinian statehood to end what he called the indignities of occupation.

Next up: His main speech, at the International Conference Center (Binyenei HaUma) in Jerusalem.

Our man at the ICC, Raphael Ahren, says it’s “like a fortress. Not even highly decorated police officers are allowed to enter the building without a blue wristband. Outside the building, thousands of students and hundreds of reporters are waiting in the hot Jerusalem sun for security checks.”