It was a warm, clear morning when Obama toured Mt. Hertzl and visited Yad Vashem, Israel’s museum to the Holocaust.
But biting winds arrived ahead of schedule here, making it unsafe for Obama to fly by helicopter to Palestinian-controlled Bethlehem, about a 30 minute drive from Jerusalem. Helicopter is the mode of transport Obama used the last time he went into Palestinian-controlled territory, a visit to Ramallah on Thursday.
Consequently, Obama’s motorcade – which topped 30 cars when it wound through Jerusalem’s streets last night – had to crawl through the hilly roads and clear an Israeli checkpoint to get to Bethlehem.
At times, the motorcade was barely moving – not the speed preferred by the lead-footed Secret Service.
When Obama got to Bethlehem, security had cleared visitors after Manger Square.
Obama then toured the Church of the Nativity, built atop the cave where Jesus is believed to have been born.
At Ben-Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, where a departure ceremony was planned, staff were taking down flags amid the fierce winds, a photographer on the scene told The Post.
Obama’s steel-plated limo, known as "the Beast," broke down before the trip, and the Secret Service had to bring in a replacement.
