Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will speak with President Donald Trump today
Today President Donald Trump will have his first meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. There is plenty on the table for the duo to talk about.
The Trump administration suggested Tuesday that peace between the Israelis and Palestinians may not come in the form of a two-state solution – a position that could represent a dramatic shift from what has been U.S. policy for more than 20 years.
The White House says rebooting the Mideast peace process is a very high priority for the Trump administration. President Trump feels can work things out without the two state solution.
A senior White House official Donald Trump is eager to begin facilitating a peace deal and hoping to bring the Israelis and Palestinians together sometime soon.
The leader landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Tuesday night, and will have meeting around Washington, D.C. all day long.
The official says that peace is the goal, regardless of whether it comes in the form of a two-state solution. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in order to preview the meeting.
Other topics of discussion expected to come up Wednesday include expanded Israeli settlements, Iran and a potential move of the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Earlier this month, Netanyahu announced new settlement construction in the West Bank. Following the announcement, the White House released a statement saying the expansion of settlements in Palestinian controlled areas could hinder peace.
“While we don’t believe the existence of settlements is an impediment to peace, the construction of new settlements or the expansion of existing settlements beyond their current borders may not be helpful in achieving that goal,” the White House said in a statement.
The move was a change from Trump’s earlier criticisms of the Obama administration for not vetoing a U.N. resolution against Israeli settlement construction.
Some quotes came from ASSOCIATED PRESS. Video from A-Jaz News.
