Region | Palestinian Territories

Obama to visit West Bank on Mideast trip says official

US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama will visit the West Bank next week as part of a visit through the Middle East, a Palestinian official said on Monday, giving an important diplomatic boost to the Palestinians at a sensitive time in peace talks.

  • AP
  • Published: 08:46 July 15, 2008
  • Gulf News

  • Barack Obama's campaign has said he will travel to Iraq, Afghanistan, Jordan, Israel, Germany, France and Britain on his trip.
  • Image Credit: Reuters

Paris: Democratic US presidential candidate Barack Obama will visit the West Bank next week as part of a visit through the Middle East, a Palestinian official said on Monday, giving an important diplomatic boost to the Palestinians at a sensitive time in peace talks.

The Palestinians expressed satisfaction over the planned meeting with the presumed Democratic nominee, which comes months after Obama's Republican opponent, John McCain, passed on meeting with the Palestinians during a brief visit to Israel.

Obama is scheduled to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during his July 23 stop in Ramallah, said Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, who was in Paris for a Mediterranean summit.

Erekat said, "We welcome this meeting." He added that if Obama is elected, "we hope he will stay the course between Israel and the Palestinians in reaching peace and a two-state solution."

During the same visit, Obama is expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and other Israeli officials. The Obama campaign declined to comment.

Few details of his overseas travel schedule have been released. Obama's campaign has said he will travel to Iraq, Afghanistan, Jordan, Israel, Germany, France and Britain.

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