Trump: Palestinians and Israelis Ready to Achieve Peace

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, stated on Tuesday, May 23, that Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian Authority, and Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, are ready to achieve peace. However, he acknowledges that reaching this agreement is not easy. According to Reuters, Trump, referring to his meeting with Abbas on Tuesday morning, said, "I can say that the Palestinians are ready to achieve peace." He added, "In my meeting with my very good friend, Benjamin (Netanyahu), I can say that he is seeking peace. He wants peace." The U.S. President noted that establishing peace is not easy, and we all know that. Both will face difficult decisions. However, Palestinians and Israelis, with determination and compromise, and the belief that peace is achievable, can reach an agreement. Previously, Mahmoud Abbas had stated during a press conference with Donald Trump in the West Bank on Tuesday that he hopes his name will be recorded in history as the U.S. President who established Israeli-Palestinian peace. The U.S. President met with Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem on the second day of his visit to Israel. Abbas declared that the Palestinian nation seeks freedom and independence, stating that this is the key to achieving peace, and with such peace, people around the world will gain new hope. He emphasized that the state of Palestine should be established within the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital and said that Palestinians have no problem with Judaism and Jews. He also recalled the Arab Peace Initiative. The Arab Peace Initiative, proposed by the Arab League in 2002, offers the return of occupied lands in exchange for full peace between all Arab countries and Israel. The U.S. President promised to work for peace during this press conference but did not refer to the two-state solution (Palestinian independence alongside Israel). Trump added that he looks forward to cooperating with the Palestinian leader to improve the economic situation of the Palestinians. In this press conference, Donald Trump also expressed satisfaction that the Palestinian Authority President has promised to take decisive steps in the fight against terrorism. The Bethlehem meeting was the second meeting between the U.S. President and the Palestinian leader in the past three weeks; their previous meeting took place at the White House. On Monday, Trump, in two meetings with the President and Prime Minister of Israel in Jerusalem, stated that achieving peace between Israel and the Palestinians is difficult but attainable. Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have been stagnant for years. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Trump that he is ready to renew talks with the Palestinians. However, the Palestinian condition for halting Israeli construction in Palestinian territories remains unaddressed, and Yoav Galant, the Israeli Minister of Housing, recently announced plans to build 25,000 new homes in these territories. Meanwhile, Palestinians were pleased that Trump did not mention the transfer of the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem during this trip and ignored Israel's request to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. In his meetings with Israeli officials, Trump referred to discussions he had on Sunday in Riyadh with King Salman of Saudi Arabia and leaders of 40 Muslim countries, stating that Israeli-Palestinian peace would also encourage Muslim countries to engage with Israel. According to reports, Donald Trump will leave Israel for the Vatican to meet with Pope Francis on the evening of Tuesday, May 23, after visiting the Holocaust Museum and speaking at the "Museum of Jerusalem." The White House has chosen Saudi Arabia, Israel, Bethlehem, and the Vatican as the first destinations for Trump's foreign trip to emphasize the importance of monotheistic religions.