US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he wanted a two-state solution to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the clearest expression yet of his administration’s support for such an outcome.
The Trump administration has in the past said it would support a two-state solution if both sides agreed to it.
Trump was talking at News Conference, after a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the United Nations General Assembly, who also said he wanted to unveil a peace plan in the next two to three months.
“I like a two-state solution. That’s what I think works best … That’s my feeling,” said Trump.
It was the first time since taking office that Trump endorsed a two-state solution as the best way to resolve the conflict.
However, Palestinian officials rejected US President Donald Trump’s comments supporting a two-state solution for Palestinians and Israelis, saying American policies were destroying any hope for peace.
The United States’ Arab allies are strong proponents of a two-state solution. Although the President did suggest he has meetings with Arab world leaders to suggest that he can make a Two-state solution work.
He also stated that he has the best person responsible for making a deal; Jared Kushner, who he believes ‘would deliver a fair solution for Palestinians and loves Israel.’
He said “And I’m glad I got it out and Jared, who’s so involved, he loves Israel. He loves Israel. But he’s also going to be very fair with the Palestinians. He understands it takes two people to be happy, two groups of people to be happy.”
At a news conference in New York later on Wednesday, Trump said he would be open to a one-state solution if that was the preference of the parties themselves, a position he has previously stated.
“If the Israelis and the Palestinians want one state, that’s OK with me. If they want two states, that’s OK with me,” he said. “I’m happy if they’re happy.”
Trump also said he wanted to unveil details of what he has long referred to as the “deal of the century” to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the next two to three months.
“I like a two-state solution. That’s what I think works best. That’s my feeling,” said Trump.
On Wednesday, Netanyahu thanked Trump for moving the US embassy to Israel to occupied Jerusalem, a decision that outraged Palestinians and led them to cut off peace talks.
Trump called the embassy’s location “the primary ingredient as to why deals couldn’t get done. That meant everything and now that’s off the table.
“Now that will also mean that Israel will have to do something that will be good for the other side,” he said. “That’s a big chip that they got.”
Trump is due to unveil what he calls the deal of century whilst according to reports, the proposal prohibits the return of more than five million Palestinian refugees and removes the status of Jerusalem from negotiations.
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