Israelis invite Obama to speak at Rabin Square

Facebook initiative "Speech for Peace" seeks to bring the US president to Tel Aviv to address the Israeli public directly.

Rabin tekes (photo credit: REUTERS)
Rabin tekes
(photo credit: REUTERS)
A Facebook initiative seeks to bring US President Barack Obama to Rabin Square in Tel Aviv to speak directly to the public.
The page, entitled "Speech for Peace," invites Obama to come to Rabin Square, a symbolic site which saw the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin on November 4, 1995. Rallies, protests and demonstrations have been held at the square for those seeking change ever since.
The Facebook page has over 2,500 "likes" since its founding on Wednesday.
A petition initiated by Uri Appenzeller has been created on the official White House website, calling for Obama to speak directly on "our people's friendship, the hope for change, and the prospects for peace, security and prosperity in the Middle East."
Both the White House and the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed on Tuesday that US President Barack Obama will visit Israel this spring, for the first time since he entered the White House in 2009.
Israeli media reports have identified late March as the expected arrival time. Channel 10 reported that the visit will take place as part of a regional tour also expected to take Obama to Ankara, Amman, Riyadh, Cairo and Ramallah.