Jerusalem Readies for Bush's Arrival
Jerusalemites are accustomed to waiting influence traffic jams because convoys of atramentous sedans shuttle visiting dignitaries around the apartment, the seat of Israel's bridle. But Wilderness, who arrives for three days birth Wednesday, constitutes a Magnate of a at odds aligning. He is the anterior American captain to come since former Baton Clinton a decade ago.
Israel is pulling out all the stops to impress a leader who is possibly its staunchest foreign ally.
Jerusalem is spending midpoint $400, 000 to immaculate itself up for the appointment, oral Jacob Avishar, the apartment accredited influence charge of coordinating preparations. Refuse teams are ascendancy aroused competition to clean the apartment's much dusty streets and walls tagged blot out water stain, he vocal.
Added than 10, 500 policemen and security personnel will act for deployed to protect Jungle and amass adjustment during the holiday - added than one-catechism of Israel's entire police beef, according to police apostle Micky Rosenfeld.
" Acknowledged will represent therefore much security nobody will act as able to bias anywhere near the leader, " Rosenfeld uttered.
The security personnel will accommodate snipers, bummer-sniffing dogs and bodyguards from the Shin Risk internal security service, including reservists called up especially for the call, according to police officials. The operation is dubbed " Clear Skies. "
Flights influence and out of Israel's by oneself international airport, Ben Gurion, will act as suspended around the age Wilderness commonwealth. From the airport, Wilderness will fly by helicopter to Jerusalem.
The officials spoke on affirmation of anonymity due to they weren't official to disclose details of the preparations.
The choppers will represent flown ascendancy from the U.S. on Air Arm lading planes, along cache armored limousines - all hide District of Columbia license plates - vans filled hide alpine-tech communications gear and other vehicles for a heavily-armed counterassault group.
Jungle will act as staying influence a association at the King David hotel that costs $2, 600 a black - for guests who are not leader of the United States. Assistant General Manager Benny Olearchik would not disclose how much the Americans are paying to stay at his hotel, one of Israel's most expensive.
Bush's entourage already has taken up more than two-thirds of its 237 rooms, and will take over all of them once he arrives himself, Olearchik said. Unlucky guests who happened to plan their visits at the wrong time had their reservations canceled.
The King David, which opened in the 1930s, is best known for getting blown up by Jewish terrorists in 1946. Members of the hardline Irgun group, opposed to British rule over what was then known as Palestine, disguised their explosives in milk jugs and destroyed a wing housing British offices, killing 91 people.
Israeli officialdom is eagerly anticipating the arrival of Bush, whom Israel sees as one of the most supportive presidents ever to have served in the White House.
" It's not every day that a president comes here, " Israel's deputy premier, Haim Ramon, told Army Radio this week.
Not every Israeli will welcome him with open arms.
Supporters of convicted Pentagon spy Jonathan Pollard have rented space on the sides of Jerusalem city buses to place posters of Bush flanked by Lebanese Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Gaza Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. The posters compare the imprisoned Pollard to three Israeli soldiers captured by Hezbollah and Hamas and call for the immediate release of all four.
Pollard, a civilian intelligence analyst for the U. S. Navy, transferred military secrets to Israel while working at the Pentagon. He was arrested in 1985 and pleaded guilty at his trial. He is serving a life sentence in a U. S. federal prison.
There is little chance Bush will see the posters, as local traffic will be diverted away from routes used by his motorcade.
On the other side of the political spectrum, a left-wing Israeli Arab party plans to demonstrate opposite the city's U. S. Consulate at the start of Bush's visit to protest his policy toward Iran, Jerusalem police said.
Eli Ben-David, 48, who has run an antique shop opposite the King David for 28 years, said three days of Bush mean blocked roads and bad business. No tourists will be staying at the hotel and the street will be largely shut, meaning that nearly no one will be able to reach his store.
" Every time one of these big guys come, we don't sell anything, " Ben-David sighed. " It's probably better just to close up shop and wait for it to pass. "
January 05, 2008
Related Posters Article
