Israel: Romney arrives in Israel

Jerusalem Post

Romney arrives in Israel after rough start to foreign tour

By HERB KEINON

07/28/2012 22:24

Following remarks on London's readiness for the Olympics which garnered a flood of media criticism, presumptive presidential candidate to meet Netanyahu, Peres and Fayyad, and hold fundraiser during brief visit.

Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney arrived in Israel Saturday night on the second leg of a three-country tour that began in London where he badly annoyed his hosts by questioning whether the city was ready for the Olympics.

The tour to England, Israel and Poland is largely meant to build up the foreign policy credentials of the candidate, who has served one term as the governor of Massachusetts and has little foreign policy experience.

Romney's foreign tour got off to a rough start in London, where he said in an interview with NBC news that London's preparations for the games were "disconcerting." This led to disparaging counter-remarks about him by Prime Minister David Cameron and London's mayor Boris Johnson, and a flood of media criticism.
Romney's visit to Israel – his fourth – is widely considered an effort to woo pro Israel voters in the US, both Jews and evangelical Christians, many of whom are discontent with the Mideast policies of US President Barack Obama.

Obama, as well as John McCain, the Republican presidential candidate in 2008, both visited Israel in July of that year, just a few months before the elections.

One thing Romney is sure to underline – in an effort to contrast himself with Obama -- is his cordial ties with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.  He is scheduled to meet Netanyahu Sunday morning, and then again after the Tisha B'Av fast that day when he – and his wife Ann -- will dine at the Prime Minister's residence with Netanyahu and his wife., Sara.

Read it at the JPost:  http://www.jpost.com/USPresidentialrace/Article.aspx?id=279241