Obama heads to Israel for first time as President

Barack Obama is flying to Israel for his first trip there as US president, amid protests and tight security in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

The war in Syria and concerns over Iran's nuclear ambitions will loom large in talks, say correspondents.

But US officials are trying to lower expectations that Mr Obama will seek to make significant headway on restarting the Israel-Palestinian peace process.

Settlement supporters are a big force in Israel's new coalition government, BBC reports.

And correspondents say Israelis are more preoccupied with instability in the wider Middle East region than with breathing new life into the peace process, which broke down in 2010 amid a dispute over continued Israeli settlement construction.

Mr Obama is due to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during his three-day visit.

US Secretary of State John Kerry is already in the country preparing for the president's arrival.

At home Mr Obama has been criticised for not having visited Israel in his first term as president, with some saying it shows he is not close enough to the country.