Trump arrives for talks with Palestinian leader in Bethlehem

“We stand in absolute solidarity with people of the United Kingdom”, Trump said. “But with determination, compromise and the belief that peace is possible, Israelis and Palestinians can make a deal”, Trump said.

A day earlier, speaking with Israeli leaders, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin, in Jerusalem, Trump declared he saw a potential for closer relations between Israel and the Arab countries in the Middle East.

Ivanka is seen during a visit to the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray.

But both Netanyahu and Abbas face domestic political challenges.

Sen. Marco Rubio said Tuesday he is not optimistic that a major peace agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians is near, despite recent comments made by President Donald Trump. “He loves people, he especially loves the Israeli people”.

Trump said in March that an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal is “maybe not as hard as people have thought”, though he has not given any indication of how he might approach the issue differently.

After Israel and the Palestinian territories, Trump will head to the Vatican, and to Brussels and Italy for North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and G7 meetings.

Trump warned of Iran’s escalating presence in the region. The White House also referred to Abbas as president of “Palestine” in a schedule, despite the fact that the USA does not recognize a Palestinian state.

Yet some Israeli officials are less certain of Trump.

Trump’s seeming openness to at least some of Abbas’s concerns has given Palestinians more reason for hope than many may have expected, but still reason to remain wary, some analysts say.

Trump arrived at Abbas’ presidential palace in Bethlehem on Tuesday morning after traveling there by auto from Jerusalem, The Times of Israel reported.

Journalists traveling with Trump were instructed to remove all press credentials that featured the Israeli flag as they entered the Presidential Palace in Bethlehem for the Trump-Abbas meeting.

Mr Abbas said he was keen to “keep the door open to dialogue with our Israeli neighbours”. In effect, it would offer Israel recognition by the Arab world and the “normalisation” of relations in exchange for a full withdrawal from the territory Israel has occupied since the June 1967 Middle East war, including East Jerusalem. “I think the White House and President needs to be careful in an effort to make things better we end up making things worse”. The official briefed on Sunday’s meeting said the package includes building permits for Palestinians in Area C that has largely been off limits to Palestinian development until now.

Trump also commented that “it’s so interesting” his meeting with Abbas took place “on this very terrible morning of death to innocent young people”. They’re losers, and we’ll have more of them. This difference was on stark display during Trump’s visit to Israel this week. He toured the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which by Christian tradition is where Jesus was crucified and the location of his tomb. The president and Kushner visited one side, while the first daughter and first lady visited a portion of the site reserved for women.

The visit raised questions about whether the USA would indicate the site is Israeli territory.

The maelstrom unfolding in Washington over the Russia investigation, the James Comey firing and Trump’s reckless decision to share sensitive Israeli-provided intelligence about the Islamic State group with the Russian foreign minister and Russian ambassador to the U.S.in their Oval Office troika doesn’t help either. Melania is also unique in the modern era for choosing to live with her son Barron in New York City rather than at the White House. Many times, Trump described himself better, stronger and sharper than his predecessor.