Barack Obama to visit Israel

US President Barack Obama will travel to Israel to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the Iranian nuclear programme and the uprising in neighbouring Syria, the White House said Tuesday, dpa reported.

White House spokesman Jay Carney gave no dates; US media reports said the trip would be around March 20. The trip, to be Obama's first to Israel as president, will include stops in the West Bank and Jordan.

Carney said that the start of Obama's second four-tear term and the formation of a new Israeli government "offer the opportunity to reaffirm the deep and enduring bonds between the United States and Israel."

The details of the visit were discussed by Obama and Netanyahu during a January 28 telephone call.

Obama's second term began January 21, while Netanhayu's Likud-Beteinu faction won the Israeli parliamentary election that same day.

Preparations for the trip already are under way, Jerusalem television reported. Advance security teams are already in Israel and in West Bank, Channel 10 said.

If the visit comes at the end of March or the beginning of April, Israel's new government could be in place. Netanyahu on Saturday began a 28-day coalition-forming period and can seek a 14-day extension if necessary.