President Obama will speak at Friday’s funeral service for former Israeli President and Prime Minister Shimon Peres.
Obama is working on his remarks now, but the statement he issued after Peres died Tuesday night is a good starting place for what he will say, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.
“I think the personal nature of the presidential statement that we issued on the night of his death should give you a good indication of what the president is thinking,” Earnest said on Thursday.
The Democratic House congressional leadership, numerous Jewish Democratic House members, President Clinton, Secretary of State John Kerry and several ambassadors and other administration officials are accompanying Obama to Jerusalem.
The large delegation is a “testament to the bipartisan commitment that exists in this country for the strong alliance that the United States enjoys with Israel,” Earnest said. “And I think it’s clear that leaders in both parties … worked closely with President Peres to strengthen that relationship and strengthen that alliance.”
