U.S. president for first time publicly supports two-state solution for Mideast conflict, says Israel will have to 'do something good' for Palestinians

Naftali Bennett responds with ‘a Palestinian state, which is a disaster for Israel, will not be established.’

Haaretz

U.S. President Donald Trump for the first time expressed public and explicit support of the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Speaking at a joint press conference after meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said he believes that the two-state solution “will work best.”

“I like two-state solution. Yeah. That’s what I think… that’s what I think works best. I don’t even have to speak to anybody, that’s my feeling… I think two-state solution works best,” Trump said.

The details of the Middle East peace plan his administration has been working on would be revealed in two to three months, Trump noted, and assessed that the Palestinians would return to the negotiating table, “100 percent.” Trump said “Israel will have to do something good for the other side.”

“I think the two states solution will work best,” Trump said. Speaking of the peace deal, Trump said he wants to “get this in my first term,” adding he has “other things to do in my second term. A lot of progress has been made, Israel and the Palestinians want to do something. We’ll start moving pretty soon, quite rapidly.”

Regarding Israel’s ongoing crisis with Russia following the downing of a Russian military plane over Syria, Trump said he will talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the tensions “when appropriate.”

Netanyahu thanked Trump for his “strong words and strong actions against Iran at the General Assembly. Secondly for the extraordinary support for Israel in the UN.”

Education Minister Naftali Bennett tweeted after the press conference that Trump “is a true friend of Israel,” but added that as long as his party is part of the governing coalition, “a Palestinian state, which is a disaster for Israel, will not be established.”

Netanyahu earlier met U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and with Guatemala President Jimmy Morales following the meeting with Trump. Later, he is slated to meet Polish President Andrzej Duda and Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz.

During his speech at the UN General Assembly Tuesday, Trump reiterated that the U.S. is “committed to a future of peace in the Middle East, including between the Israelis and the Palestinians. That aim has been advanced, not harmed,” adding that “America’s policy of principled realism means we will not be held hostage to so-called experts who have been proven wrong over the years time and time again.”

On Friday, the prime minister is scheduled to meet with Jewish community leaders in the city before returning to Israel on Saturday night.

Accompanying Netanyahu to the UN General Assembly are Culture Minister Miri Regev and Communications Minister Ayoub Kara. In response to a question by Haaretz, Kara’s office said he was expected to present Israel’s position on the new nation-state law “as a Druze cabinet minister” and to hold meetings on communications. Regev’s office said she had “a few meetings” scheduled in New York but did not provide additional details before press time.

Regional Cooperation Minister Tzachi Hanegbi will also be in the city at the time of Netanyahu’s address; he flew to New York to attend a meeting of donors to the Palestinians as well as a meeting of foreign ministers convened by the UN secretary general on the topic of strengthening the peacekeeping forces.