Romney likely to find Israel supportive

JERUSALEM -- Mitt Romney's support for Israel will likely earn the presumptive Republican presidential nominee a warm welcome from Israeli leaders when he meets with them today -- and a frosty reception from Palestinians, who fear he would do little to advance their stalled statehood dreams.

Romney touched down in Tel Aviv last night as part of a three-nation foreign tour that includes Britain and Poland. The visit to Israel comes at a time when its leaders are weighing a military attack on Iran, the neighboring regime in Syria is looking increasingly shaky and Mideast peace talks are going nowhere.

Romney, a longtime friend of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is expected to play up his critique of President Barack Obama's posture toward the Jewish state and his handling of Iran's suspected nuclear weapons ambitions. He told the Israeli daily Haaretz before his arrival that Washington's commitments to Israel should be "as clear as humanly possible" given the changes in the region.

Romney will be meeting with Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, President Shimon Peres and Israeli opposition leaders.

He will not see Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Abbas aide Nimr Hamad said, though he will be sitting down with the Palestinian prime minister, Salam Fayyad, in Jerusalem.

Romney's relationship with the U.S.-educated Netanyahu dates back decades, when they briefly overlapped in the 1970s at Boston Consulting Group. Netanyahu, though, has refused to endorse either presidential candidate.

Romney has consistently accused Obama of putting too much pressure on Israel to make concessions to the Palestinians and of being too weak on Iran. He says he wants to present a clearer military threat to the Islamic Republic, with a stronger naval presence in the Gulf.

Palestinians, meanwhile, fear Romney would be softer on Israel than Obama. Palestinian politician Hanan Ashrawi said that would doom any chance for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and establishing a Palestinian state on lands Israel captured in the 1967 war.

"American foreign policy in the region is shaped by Israel and determined by what's good for Israel, and not even what's good for the U.S.," Ashrawi complained.