Apparently, in his visit to Ramallah today, U.S. President Obama told Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas about some new and/or additional assistance, during their hours together [from 11:00 am until their press conference, which started sometime after 1:30 pm] … but no specifics were announced.
A large part of Ramallah was shut down [I’m told that even pedestrians were not allowed out on the streets] in a large zone around the Ramallah Presidential headquarters, the Muqata’a [once a British Mandate headquarters, where part was used as a prison by Israeli forces during the first Intifada].
Both men seemed relatively relaxed and happy, but Obama had the bigger smile… at least upon arrival.
Obama came in a helicopter with or some 9 or 10 helicopter escorts:
Noga Tarnopolsky had a good shot of a helicopter flying over central Ramallah’s Manara Square, which she Tweeted here.
Photo of helicopter arriving at Muqata’a Tweeted here by Emilie Baujard:
This photo also by Emilie Baujard + Tweeted here:
And here’s a photo by Ahmad Nimer + Tweeted here:
