Netanyahu leaves for U.S. to meet Jewish leaders, administration officials

[bemildred]

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left for a visit to the United States which will include an address to Jewish leaders and meetings with administration officials.

Netanyahu, his wife Sara, and his son, Yair, on an authorized vacation from his army posting in the Israel Defense Forces Spokesperson's office, left Israel on Saturday night on a direct El Al flight to New Orleans at a cost of more than $1 million.

The prime minister will speak Monday at the Jewish Federations of North America General Assembly in New Orleans. Prior to his speech, he is scheduled to meet with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden in New Orleans.

Netanyahu is also scheduled to meet in New York with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice on Wednesday, and U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton on Thursday.

http://www.jta.org/news/article/2010/11/07/2741619/netanyahu-leaves-for-us-to-meet-jewish-leaders-administration-officials

[leveymg]

1. President Obama is not in the U.S. this coming week

Relations between the two countries couldn't be better.