This Article is From Mar 22, 2013

Barack Obama's speech interrupted by heckler

Jerusalem: President Barack Obama was interrupted by a heckler while giving a speech to an audience of Israeli university students, but he didn't lose his cool.

The president was talking about the US being a close ally to Israel when the heckler piped up. The crowd shouted him down.

"This is part of the lively debate that we talked about," said an unruffled Obama. "This is good."

That got him a standing ovation from many of the students.

"I have to say we actually arranged for that because it made me feel at home," Obama said, grinning. "I wouldn't feel comfortable if I didn't have at least one heckler."

Obama went on to deliver an impassioned appeal for Israel to recognize that compromise will be necessary to achieve lasting security.

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