U.S. President Barack Obama will visit Israel and the West Bank in June, according to an announcement circulated among American diplomatic representations in the region. A senior diplomatic source confirmed to Haaretz that a decision was made in recent days to include a short visit to Israel and the Palestinian Authority during a visit in June to France, where President Nicolas Sarkozy will host Obama.
The decision to visit Jerusalem several weeks after his first meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington is meant to emphasize Obama's commitment to an active role in achieving a two-state solution for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
