Romney Plans Trip to Israel

Mitt Romney will travel to Israel this summer to meet with top officials including Prime Minister Netanyahu as part of his first overseas trip since becoming the Republican standard bearer, a campaign aide confirmed.

While the dates are not yet set, the trip will likely bolster the presumptive GOP nominee's foreign policy credentials and emphasize a narrative Romney has portrayed on the campaign trail - that he will be a better friend to Israel than President Obama.

Relations between the Obama Administration and Israel have been strained at best through the president's first term. Settlements in the West Bank has been a hot-button issue, with the U.S. under Obama calling for a halt in construction, something Netanyahu's conservative government vehemently supports.

Romney and Prime Minister Netanyahu have a friendly relationship dating back to the 1970's, when both men worked for the Boston Consulting Group. They have maintained a friendship over the years with each man giving the other advice from time to time.

This will be Romney's fourth trip to Israel. His last visit was in 2011 for three days during an overseas swing that included Jordan and Afghanistan.

He is also planning to attend the Opening Ceremonies for the London Olympics, although it is not clear if the campaign will tack the trip to Israel onto this.