The English version of the code name chosen for the operations surrounding the upcoming visit to Israel by U.S. President Barack Obama, scheduled for March 20, is “Unbreakable Alliance.” The Hebrew name is “Brit Amim,” which means, literally, “an alliance between nations.”

According to Maariv/NRG, the names were chosen carefully by the National Public Information Staff, which is wary of upsetting Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

According to this report, Netanyahu was unhappy with the English translation of the name given to Israel’s operation in Gaza, “Pillar of Defense.” The Hebrew name of that operation was “Pillar of Smoke” – a reference to the pillar of smoke and fire that led the nation of Israel out of Egypt, in the Biblical account of the Exodus.

The meaning of the phrase “Pillar of Defense” was unclear, however.

The English name for Obama’s visit is seen as one that imparts the intended meaning and emphasizing the values that Israel wants to stress during the visit.

Visitors to the Prime Minister’s Facebook page have been asked to choose between three logos for the visit.

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