Report: Obama to tour Nativity church, missile-defense battery during Israel trip

President Obama will be visiting the church of the Nativity and a missile-defense battery during his first trip to Israel next week, Haaretz reports.

Some four dozen diplomats, security personnel and White House officials arrived in the country Sunday night ahead of the president's March 20 trip.

Obama is expected to use the visit to reaffirm America's commitment to Israel's security — Haaretz reports that a U.S.-funded Iron Dome anti-missile system will be moved to the airport for a photo op — and his administration's pledge to prevent Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon.

The church of the Nativity in Bethlehem was first completed in 333 AD atop the cave where Jesus is believed to have been born and is the oldest Christian church in continuous operation anywhere in the world. The church gained newfound symbolism last summer when the United Nations recognized it as the first World Heritage site in the Palestinian territories, over the objections of the United States and Israel.

The Palestinians say the Israeli occupation threatens cultural treasures in the Palestinian territories, including the church, with neglect and destruction. The Obama administration and the Israeli government accused the Palestinians of mixing politics and culture by rushing to a vote and skipping the usual 18-month process to apply for World Heritage designation.

The White House had no comment on the president's visit.

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