President Donald Trump's first trip abroad will be to the volatile Middle East, so security will be paramount for the commander in chief.
On his second stop, Israel, the president will be staying overnight in one of the safest places on earth – a bomb-proof, bullet-proof, poison gas-proof $5,700-a-night hotel suite that can withstand a rocket-propelled grenade or even a building collapse, NBC News reported on Friday.
Trump will first arrive for a visit to Saudi Arabia on Saturday. He will spend two days inside the desert monarchy during which he will meet King Salman as well as other Gulf leaders.
On Monday, Trump will travel to Israel, where he will meet the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and take in historic sites in Jerusalem.
On Monday night, he will bed down at the luxurious King David Hotel in central Jerusalem, where specially made preparations have been made for his arrival, according to the hotel's operations manager.
'The presidential suites have independent air conditioning in case of a gas attack and are built to withstand a RPG [rocket-propelled grenade],' Sheldon Ritz said.
'But still the US is bringing rocket-proof glass to put in front of the window.'
Ritz said that for one night the hotel will be turned into a 'mini White House' that is ready for any contingency.
'If the whole hotel blows up the suite will come down in one piece, so maybe a few broken bones, but they will be alive,' he said.
Trump and his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, will be staying at the presidential suite of the King David Hotel in central Jerusalem on Monday night
American security officials aren't taking any chances during Trump's visit, as evidenced by the rocket-proof glass that they have installed on the windows of Trump's suite. The bed in the presidential suite is seen above
The King David Hotel, which usually hosts foreign dignitaries visiting Israel, is a site with historical significance in the Israeli-Palestinian dispute.
In 1946, Zionist militants detonated a powerful bomb in the hotel - which served as the administrative headquarters of the British Mandatory government in Palestine - killing 91 people.
The Israelis are rolling out all the stops to make sure Trump's visit goes off without a hitch.
Two buses full of heavy equipment will be placed at the entrance to the main road leading to the hotel in order to prevent car bombs from penetrating through.
There will also be balloons equipped with infrared cameras deployed above the hotel.
The room where the Trumps will be staying offers all of the amenities that befit a head of state
The room will also be bomb-proof, bullet-proof, and poison-gas proof. It will have its own air conditioning system that is independent from the central cooling apparatus in the hotel
The room is considered the most secure of any in the hotel - so much so that the hotel operations manager says that it could withstand the collapse of the entire building
Israeli police also said that 10,000 officers on motorcycle, special patrols, and undercover details will provide additional security for Trump while he is in Jerusalem.
The scale and scope of the security operation is exacerbated by the presence of key figures in Trump's entourage, including daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner.
On Tuesday, Trump plans to meet with the Israeli president before visiting the West Bank city of Bethlehem.
Trump plans on visiting the Western Wall, which will make him the first sitting president to do so.
The visit will be fraught with symbolism, particularly in light of recent controversies surrounding the American position on the political status of Jerusalem and its holy sites.
An Israeli official said on Monday that Israel wants the White House to explain why a US diplomat preparing Trump's visit to Jerusalem said the wall, the holiest site in Judaism, is part of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Trump's suit will offer a breathtaking, panoramic view of the Old City of Jerusalem (as seen through the window above)
US and Israeli security officials have reportedly hired 'testers' who will sample the food that is being delivered to the Trumps to make sure that there is no poisoning
The King David will turn into 'the mini White House' with all of the attendant security arrangements for the night that the Trumps will stay there, according to the hotel's operations manager, Sheldon Ritz
Israeli police also said that 10,000 officers on motorcycle, special patrols, and undercover details will provide additional security for Trump while he is in Jerusalem.
The scale and scope of the security operation is exacerbated by the presence of key figures in Trump's entourage, including daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner.
On Tuesday, Trump plans to meet with the Israeli president before visiting the West Bank city of Bethlehem.
Trump plans on visiting the Western Wall, which will make him the first sitting president to do so.
The visit will be fraught with symbolism, particularly in light of recent controversies surrounding the American position on the political status of Jerusalem and its holy sites.
An Israeli official said on Monday that Israel wants the White House to explain why a US diplomat preparing Trump's visit to Jerusalem said the wall, the holiest site in Judaism, is part of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
The view of Jerusalem as seen from the King David Hotel includes the walls of the Old City with the Dome of the Rock slightly peering out
The King David Hotel is a site with historical significance in the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. In 1946, Zionist militants detonated a bomb in the hotel - which served as the administrative headquarters of the British Mandatory government in Palestine - killing 91 people (above)
Israel considers all of Jerusalem as its indivisible capital, a claim that is not recognized internationally, and the Western Wall - the holiest prayer site for Jews - is part of territory it captured in the 1967 Middle East war.
Israel's Channel 2 reported that during a planning meeting between US and Israeli officials, the Israelis were told that Trump's visit to the Western Wall was private, Israel did not have jurisdiction in the area and that Netanyahu was not welcome to accompany Trump there.
A policeman is seen standing guard in front of the hotel during President George W. Bush's visit in January 2008
Trump plans on visiting the Western Wall (seen above on the right with the Dome of the Rock overlooking it on the left), which will make him the first sitting president to do so
Trump's administration has been sending mixed messages in its dealings with a right-wing Israeli government that had hoped for a more sympathetic attitude from the Republican president after a rocky relationship with his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama.
'The statement that the Western Wall is in an area in the West Bank was received with shock,' said the official in Netanyahu's office.
'We are convinced that this statement is contrary to the policy of President Trump ... Israel has made contact with the US on this matter,' the official said.
Source: Dailymail.co.uk
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