President Obama has increased American aid to Israel, but you wouldn’t know it by the reception some Israelis are giving him. President Obama was loudly heckled during a speech to 600 students in Jerusalem on Thursday, which caused a few moments of tension.
About halfway through Obama’s speech, a man began shouting in Hebrew. It was later reported that the man was yelling about imprisoned spy Jonathan Pollard.
As usual, Obama played it off without missing a beat:
“This is part of the lively debate that we talked about,” he joked. Then, added: “I have to say we actually arranged for that because it made me feel at home. I wouldn’t feel comfortable if I didn’t have at least one heckler.”
And proving that Obama still hasn’t lost his touch with young people, the students gave him a standing ovation after that moment of levity.
Obama spent the remainder of the speech praising Israel’s economy and highlighting the need for a peaceful resolution to the conflict with Palestine. “The only way for Israel to endure and thrive as a Jewish and democratic state is through the realization of an independent and viable Palestine,” he said.
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