Obama: US is Israel's great friend

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JERUSALEM - Calling the US Israel's "greatest friend," President Barack Obama assured the Middle East ally of his administration's commitment to Israel's security while cautioning that the region's "winds of change bring both promise and peril."

Obama declared common cause with Israel, noting that it was the first stop of the first trip of his second term. "We share a vision of Israel at peace with its neighbors," Obama said upon arriving in Tel Aviv.

Israeli President Shimon Peres welcomed Obama, asserting that "A world without America's leadership, without her moral voice, would be a darker world. A world without your friendship, would invite aggression against Israel."

Obama's trip is his first visit to the country — and only his second to the Middle East, outside of a quick jaunt to Iraq — since taking office. He will also be making his first trips as president to the Palestinian Authority and Jordan this week. But on an itinerary laden more with symbolism than substance, an Israel that is increasingly wary of developments in Syria and Iran is Obama's main focus.

Before leaving Tel Aviv's airport, Obama offered a vivid display of America's commitment to Israeli security by visiting a missile battery that is part of Israel's Iron Dome defense from rocket attacks. The United States has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in developing the system with Israel.

Obama and Netanyahu toured the battery on the airport tarmac, meeting and chatting with soldiers who operate the system. The battery is not normally stationed at the airport and was placed there only for the visit. Israel credits Iron Dome with intercepting hundreds of rockets during a round of fighting against Gaza fighters last November.

"Thank you for standing by Israel at this time of historic change in the Middle East," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Obama. "Thank you for unequivocally affirming Israel's sovereign right to defend itself by itself against any threat."