Donald Trump: Israeli-Palestinian peace deal could spread throughout region

Trump’s visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories is part of his first trip overseas as president.

The president’s arrival in Tel Aviv on Monday afternoon also marked a historic direct flight between Saudi Arabia and Israel, nations that do not have formal diplomatic relations.

Trump spoke before the crowd with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu next to him.

However, it seems Hazan – no stranger to deliberate publicity grabs and controversies – and Trump share a deep connection with each other.

The Islamic State claimed credit for the attack and the slaying of “crusaders”.

The White House said Trump was being updated on the attacks in Manchester, England, by his national security team.

However, after taking charge of presidency his statements have been rather nuanced on the issue of settlements as well as regarding moving of the USA embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, causing some heartburn among his right-wing supporters here. The Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, captured by Israel a half century ago. Naturally, this would be a controversial statement – which could be the reason the president has decided not to move the embassy at this point.

“Conflict can not continue forever”.

Much of the speech was dedicated to affirming “the unshakable bond” between the US and Israel.

Trump is using the opening leg of his first foreign trip as USA president to encourage the revival of Mideast peace talks. Mr Trump himself never commented.

But he never was accused of naming Israel, just of revealing enough details that could lead others to that realization. Never mentioned it during that conversation. “And I intend to do everything I can to help them achieve that goal. So you had another story wrong”.

Also on Monday, the sensitive issue of intelligence sharing was raised during a meeting with Netanyahu.

The two leaders will meet in the West Bank. He says that “our main problem is with the occupation and settlements”.

The Florida senator urged the Trump administration to exercise caution in its pursuit of peace negotiations.

“We all know that”.

Israel and the Palestinians have not held peace talks for three years and Mr Trump acknowledges it would be “one of the toughest deals of all” to broker. He stated that he sees this issue as an integral component to establishing promoting stability in the region.

However, the president remained silent on the subject, though he said that he was “truly hopeful” about America’s role in helping Israel and the Palestinians forge peace. He said the most Trump can expect from the visit is for Netanyahu to discuss “preserving at least the shell of an effort to keep the two-state solution going and limit settlements”.

Given the pressure his young presidency is under in Washington, analysts have praised famously off-the-cuff Trump’s careful sticking to script so far on his maiden overseas tour.

Yet, as Al Jazeera reporter Hoda Abdel-Hamid noted in disappointment, Trump “didn’t speak of [the Palestinian] right to self-determination”.