Donald Trump Expresses Doubt About Israel and Palestinians' Interest in Peace

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, stated that the Palestinians are currently not seeking peace, while he is also uncertain if Israel is interested in peace with the Palestinians. In an interview with the right-wing Israeli newspaper 'Hayom' published on Sunday, February 11, he said, 'At this moment, I can say that the Palestinians are not looking for peace. They do not want peace.' However, he also questioned Israel's interest in reaching an agreement, stating, 'I am not necessarily sure that Israel is looking for peace either. So we have to move forward and see what happens.' Trump conducted this interview with a newspaper owned by Sheldon Adelson, an American billionaire and supporter of the President. According to the Associated Press, Trump's approach towards Israel has been much softer than towards the Palestinians. The U.S. President has previously criticized the Palestinians for what he called their unwillingness to negotiate for peace, but has largely refrained from similar criticism of Israel. Trump told 'Hayom' that while U.S.-Israel relations are at a 'great' level, peace with the Palestinians would 'make it better.' He added that 'settlement building is a very complicated issue and has always complicated the peace process, so I think Israel needs to be very careful regarding settlements.' The U.S. President emphasized that he intends to bring Israelis and Palestinians closer to a 'final agreement' that would end decades of conflict between the parties, but in this interview, he expressed doubt that negotiations could even take place at this time. He stated, 'I don't really know if we will have any discussions at all. We will have to see what happens, but I think it would be very foolish for the Palestinians and also very foolish for the Israelis if they do not reach an agreement.' Trump stressed that 'this is our only chance, and after that, we will not have such an opportunity.' Since Trump's rise to power in the U.S., Israeli and Palestinian officials have repeatedly expressed optimism that they are closer to reviving peace talks and reaching a resolution. However, since the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel by Washington on December 6, relations between the U.S. and the Palestinians have cooled. The Palestinians have stated that they will not engage in discussions with Washington unless the Trump administration revises its decision. In response, the U.S. has cut millions of dollars in aid to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.