1,600 participate in Facebook contest for Obama speech

U.S. President Barack Obama steps aboard Air Force One at Andrews Air Force base near Washington, on March 15. Photo by REUTERS/Jason Reed

More than 1,600 Israelis submitted slogans to a U.S. embassy contest for tickets to President Obama's speech in Jerusalem.

According to the embassy’s Facebook page, 1,618 people answered a post  promising tickets for 20 of the most “original and creative” comments and post them by March 14.

Winners will attend Obama’s address next week at the International Convention Center Jerusalem during his first presidential visit to Israel, Army Radio reported.

One of the contenders, Nathan Bachrach, wrote: “As a grandfather of three girls in Houston, Texas, I hope one of them will one day replace you and become the first woman president in the U.S.”

Another contender, Eitan Friedman, was one of several dozen who said they wanted to attend the speech to ask Obama to free Jonathan Pollard, an American Jew who in 1987 received a life sentence for spying for Israel.