JERUSALEM — Calling the U.S. Israel's "greatest friend," President Barack Obama assured the Middle East ally of his administration's commitment to Israel's security while cautioning that the region's "winds of change bring both promise and peril."

Obama declared common cause with Israel, noting that it was the first stop of the first trip of his second term. "We share a vision of Israel at peace with its neighbors," Obama said upon arriving in Tel Aviv.

Israeli President Shimon Peres welcomed Obama, asserting that "A world without America's leadership, without her moral voice, would be a darker world. A world without your friendship, would invite aggression against Israel."