Hundreds at Ben-Gurion Airport await Obama’s arrival

Preamble: The president is due to land at Ben-Gurion Airport a little after noon Israel time. Here’s his itinerary. And here’s Raphael Ahren on why he’s going where’s going — places like the Israel Museum to see the Dead Sea Scrolls — and not going where he’s not going — like the Western Wall.

Obama, who’s visited Israel twice before, is the fifth serving president to come, after Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton (four times) and George W. Bush (twice). Here’s a photo essay showing those previous presidential visits.

Obama said in an interview last week that he’d be coming to “listen,” but doubtless he’ll be doing plenty of talking too behind closed doors with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah tomorrow. Here’s David Horovitz on the differences on opinion and mindset between Obama and Netanyahu, especially over settlements and Iran.

Our Matti Friedman, at Ben-Gurion Airport awaiting Obama, says hundreds of journalists have been there for ages, clearing security and poised for the arrival of Air Force One. The IDF’s honor guard is making its final preparations to greet the president.