By GIL RONEN, ARUTZ 7—
With less than a week left until U.S. President Barack Obama arrives in Israel for a visit, the Israel Police are preparing a huge force to keep him safe. About 15,000 police, comprising over half of Israel’s total police force, will work 12-hour shifts starting Wednesday, when Obama lands at Ben Gurion Airport.
Obama will be accompanied by an entourage of about 600 people.
Police will be on special alert throughout the visit.
About 3,000 police men and women will secure the Jerusalem district, aided by 50 scooters, 25 ATVs, 35 mounted police, 100 buses and hundreds of squad cars, motorcycles and other vehicles.
Four hundred people from the logistics division will be in charge of providing more than 50,000 meals for the on-duty police, and for providing sleeping quarters for 1,500 police nightly. More than 1,000 police will directly provide security for the presidential entourage at the Israeli presidential helipad, at Binyanei Hauma, at the President’s Residence, at the Prime Minister’s Residence, as well as Har Herzl, Yad Vashem, the Israel Museum and additional locations.
Obama is to land at Ben Gurion Airport at 12:25 p.m. Wednesday and be received in an official ceremony. He will then be shown an Iron Dome battery at the airport and then meet with President Peres in Jerusalem. He will proceed to a meeting with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and the two will hold a joint press conference.
On Thursday he will visit the Israel Museum, where he will tour the Shrine of the Book, and a technological exhibit. From there he will go to Ramallah and upon his return to Jerusalem, he will make a speech at Binyanei Hauma.
On the third day of his visit, Obama will lay wreaths on the tombs of Binyamin Ze’ev Herzl and Yitzhak Rabin, and then visit Yad Vashem. At 12:00 he will visit Bethlehem and the Church of the Holy Sephulcre. The visit will end Friday afternoon in an official ceremony at the airport.