20 mars 2013
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Israel prepares for President Barack Obama's first visit
Security is tight for the US president as he travels to sites in Israel and the Palestinian territories
- The Guardian, Monday 18 March 2013 17.52 GMT
There will be no toast for breakfast, nor club sandwiches from room service. Muesli, pasta and traditional cakes are also off the menu. And if Barack Obama fancies a cold beer at the end of a long day of ceremonial statesmanship and high-end diplomacy, he is going to be a disappointed man.
The renowned King David hotel, overlooking the walls of Jerusalem's Old City and home to the presidential entourage during this week's three-day visit, has almost completed its preparations for the Jewish holiday of Passover, which begins at sunset next Monday. By the time Obama checks in this Wednesday, not a trace of wheat will remain within the hotel's historic walls.
"All hotels in Israel prepare their kitchens for Passover a few days in advance; it's a long process," said Dror Danino, manager of the King David. "For us, it would have meant starting in the middle of the presidential visit, which was too messy. So we decided to finish it before the arrival of the delegation. From tonight [Monday], we will be kosher for Pesach [Passover]."
Despite the absence of wheat products, the food served to the entourage would be delicious, said Danino. No special dietary requests had been made in advance, but the kitchen was prepared to meet almost all demands around the clock.
All 233 rooms have been taken by the delegation, requiring the management to make alternative arrangements for those who made bookings before the Obama visit was announced. "We had to ask them nicely to move to other hotels. I have to say all were very understanding," Danino said.
The King David's bars and restaurants will be closed to the public during the visit and security will be inevitably tight. White screens and tents are being erected outside the hotel for security checks, and the road‚ King David Street, a major thoroughfare‚ will be blocked off for three days.
The hotel – famously bombed by Jewish militants in 1946, killing 91 people, when it was the headquarters of the British Mandate – has seen it all before. Previous US presidents to stay in its plush rooms include George W Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter. The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, was the most recent head of state to check in, during a visit to Jerusalem last June.
"Some of our staff have been here for 40 years. They're very used to working with such delegations," said Danino. The hotel had decided not to take on extra staff for the visit; regular staff will work overtime.
The 36-year-old manager declined to discuss whether the hotel had offered a discount rate for Obama's block booking, but the nightly rate starts at £364 ($550). Prices for the royal and presidential suites are not listed on its website.
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said about 5,000 Israeli police officers would be on duty on each of the three days of the presidential visit, including special patrol, fast response and counter-terrorism units.
Israeli air space will be closed for about 30 minutes for the touchdown of Air Force One at Ben Gurion airport, from where the president will fly by helicopter to Jerusalem. Israeli police were co-ordinating closely with US security, Rosenfeld said.
Obama's itinerary includes two visits to the Palestinian territories: to Ramallah on Thursday to meet the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, and to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem on Friday. US security agencies are liaising with Palestinian security over the visits.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/
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