JERUSALEM (JTA) — Thousands of police officers and security personnel have been deployed across Jerusalem ahead of the visit by Vice President Mike Pence.

Security measures went into effect on Sunday afternoon, ahead of the vice president’s scheduled Sunday evening arrival at Ben Gurion International airport.

The heightened security and the closure of some roads in the city will remain in effect until Pence leaves on Tuesday, according to reports.

Thousands of @Il_police officers will take part in the security operation of the US vice president, who will visit Israel in the up coming days. As part of the preparations, a drill was held to escort & secure the convoy of the Vice President pic.twitter.com/y38nTmv7zI

— Israel Police (@israelpolice) January 20, 2018

Ahead of Pence’s impending arrival, Joint Arab List party head Ayman Odeh announced in a tweet that he and the lawmakers from the parties on the List would not attend Pence’s speech to the Knesset on Monday, in protest over the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

“This is a dangerous man with a messianic vision that includes the destruction of the entire region,” Saturday’s tweet also said.

נשאלתי האם יש שינוי בעמדתנו לגבי ביקור סגן הנשיא פנס; מדובר באדם מסוכן בעל חזון משיחי שכולל את חורבן האזור כולו שמגיע בשליחותו של אדם מסוכן אף יותר, פירומן פוליטי, גזען ומיזוגן שאסור שיהיה מתווה דרך באזורנו, הרשימה המשותפת כולה תחרים את נאומו במליאה.

— Ayman Odeh (@AyOdeh) January 20, 2018

Pence discussed the issues of Jerusalem and peace between Israel and the Palestinians during meetings on Saturday and Sunday in Egypt and Jordan.

Pence on Saturday told Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi that the United States would support a two-state solution and is committed to restarting the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.

Pence said after the meeting that he told the Egyptian president that the United States is “absolutely committed to preserving the status quo with regard to holy sites in Jerusalem, that we have come to no final resolution about boundaries or other issues that will be negotiated,” the Associated Press reported.

Sisi’s office said the president stressed Egypt’s support for a two-state solution and “the right of the Palestinian people to establish an independent state with east Jerusalem as capital,” according to the Associated Press.

Jordan’s King Abdullah on Sunday told Pence during his stop in Amman that President Donald Trump made it clear in his announcement on Jerusalem that the United States is “committed to continue to respect Jordan’s role as the custodian of holy sites, that we take no position on boundaries and final status,” and that Jordan would continue to play a central role in new peace efforts.

The king called Pence’s visit a mission “to rebuild trust and confidence” in the two-state solution.

The vice president is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin, and to address the Knesset. He also is scheduled to visit the Western Wall and Yad Vashem.

Palestinian leaders have refused to meet with Pence in the wake of President Donald Trump’s recognition last month of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Pence postponed a planned mid-December visit to Israel so he could preside over the vote on a tax overhaul favored by Trump. It was believed that the vice president may have been needed to cast the deciding vote in the closely divided Senate, but he was not as the plan passed.

Let’s block ads! (Why?)