West Wing Week: 03/29/13 or “Where Peace Begins”

This week, the President wrapped up an historic trip to the Middle East with stops in Israel, the West Bank, and Jordan, and then returned home for a naturalization ceremony, visits with the LA Galaxy and Kings, African Leaders, young ambassadors and Spanish-language television. He finished the week by pressing for commonsense action to protect children from gun violence.

Friday, March 22^nd

• The President was halfway through a four-day trip to Israel, the West Bank, and Jordan. West Wing Week caught up with Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes, to fill us in on the trip so far for the latest installment of "From the Rhodes."
• Friday saw wreath laying at Herzl and Rabin's gravesites, and then at the Hall of Remembrance at Yad Vashem, Israel's official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust.
• The President crossed into the West Bank again, this time to the Palestinian city of Bethlehem where he visited the Church of the Nativity.
• Then, it was on to his last stop on his trip, to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, where King Abdullah II honored the President's arrival with a ceremony fit for a King. The two leaders then adjourned for a bilateral meeting and a joint press conference.

Saturday, March 23^rd

• The President made his way to the ancient city of Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and his last stop on his tour of the Middle East.

Monday, March 25^th

• Back in Washington, the President began his week at home by hosting a naturalization ceremony to welcome 28 active duty service members and civilians to American citizenship, and to call for reforms that will help harness the talent and ingenuity of all those who want to work hard and find a place in America.

Tuesday, March 26^th

• The President congratulated two LA teams- the Kings and the Galaxy- on their MLS and NHL championship victories.
• The President met with the 11 Cesar Chavez Champions of Change who embody the spirit of Cesar Chavez's legacy and commit themselves to working in their communities to advocate for, and organize around comprehensive immigration reform.
• Then he met with the March of Dimes Ambassador, second grader Nina Centofanti and her family.                        

Wednesday, March 27^th

• Wednesday marked the annual tradition of the Presidential signing of the ERP, the Economic Report of the President, where the President took the time to thank the entire staff of the Council of Economic Advisors who wrote the report.
• Then the President sat down to talk with Lourdes Meluza of Univision and then Lori Montenegro of Telemundo on some of the issues of the day including the need for comprehensive immigration reform.
• The President hosted the swearing-in ceremony of Julia Pierson as the Director of the United States Secret Service.

Thursday, March 28^th

• The President stood with mothers, law enforcement officials, and victims of gun violence to urge Congress to take action on commonsense measures to protect children from gun violence.
• Then he congratulated the 2012 Kavli Prize winners, welcoming them into the Oval Office and honoring their pioneering contributions in the fields of Astrophysics, Nanoscience, and Neuroscience.
• The President then met with a group of African Leaders representing Sierra Leone, Senegal, Malawi, and Cape Verde, where he spoke of his support for the impressive work being done by these leaders.