PA slams Netanyahu remarks on Jerusalem division

This is something no one would have predicted in December 2015, when candidate Trump called for a ban on Muslim visitors to the US.

On Monday, he met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.

Abbas considers a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to be non-negotiable, and he stressed his position on Tuesday.

Notably though, there was an absence of any reference to a two-state solution or any details on how peace could be achieved or what he personally would do to advance it.

NGO head Avi Buskila said the rally was a protest against “the lack of hope being offered by a government perpetuating occupation, violence and racism”.

In his speech yesterday, Mr Trump seemed to acknowledge the complexities of the matter.

Donald Trump was the first sitting president to visit the Western Wall.

Matty Stern/ZUMA Press/NewscomFor decades American presidents have tried, with varying degrees of effort and to varying degrees of success, to negotiate a peace between Israel and the Palestinians. The celebrations were extravagant and apparently heartfelt, with King Salman himself even teaching Mr Trump the correct way to drink Saudi coffee. An explicit endorsement of a two-state solution, which has been US policy for more than a quarter-century.

A 45 minute meeting in Bethlehem with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas statements from both leaders after that meeting but no new revelations.

DANIEL ESTRIN, NPR: He spoke a lot about peace, but he was very short on specifics.

Far-right Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Israeli settler organisations also hailed Trump’s silence on two states.

After enduring eight years of the Obama administration, Rubin says he had “high hopes” that Trump would personally state that Jerusalem is the “undivided capital” of Israel. US disengagement, by any avenue, could create the space for real progress. This trip was much more about smiles.

He offered no detail and did not specifically mention the two-state solution, long the focus of global efforts and US Middle East diplomacy.

“We would like to reiterate our commitment to cooperate with you to make peace and achieve an historic peace agreement between us and the Israelis”, he added, echoing similar pledges from Netanyahu.

“With new prospects for supporting Israel under President Trump, Congress needs to do everything it can to fulfill our promise of recognizing Jerusalem as the undivided capital of the state of Israel and to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem“, said Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) at an Israel Allies Foundation congressional reception on Wednesday evening. This week ISIS struck again in Manchester, England, where a suicide bomber killed 22 people, including children outside the concert arena where singer Ariana Grande performed. “It was History’s darkest hour”.

Trump was in Israel for 2 days, as part of his first trip overseas since being elected.

After leaving Israel, Trump headed to Rome for a meeting with Pope Francis.

For the PBS NewsHour, I’m John Yang.