Don eyes deal of all deals

Israel-Palestine peace

Capping separate meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, President Trump on Tuesday said peace is within reach if the two sides are able to discard the “pain and disagreements of the past.”

The president met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas as part of his swing through the Middle East in pursuit of what he called “the ultimate deal.”

At the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, Trump declared that, after his talks with Abbas, he came away convinced the “Palestinians are ready to reach for peace.”

Turning to the Israeli leader, who joined him at the museum, Trump added, “Benjamin Netanyahu [also] wants peace.”

But the president offered no road map to achieve the elusive goal and conceded the process will not be easy.

“We all know that. Both sides will face tough decisions,” he said. “But with determination, compromise and the belief that peace is possible, Israelis and Palestinians can make a deal.”

White House aides said Trump was laying the groundwork for peace talks and wasn’t expecting major breakthroughs during his brief visit.

At a news conference earlier with Abbas in Bethlehem in the West Bank, Trump said if Israelis and Palestinians can find common ground, the entire region would benefit.

Abbas, who met with Trump at the White House earlier this month, said he’s ready to cooperate.

“We are keen to keep the door open to dialogue with our Israeli neighbors from all walks of life,” he said.

But illustrating the difficult hurdles ahead, Abbas raised the need for a twostate solution, a Palestinian capital in East Jerusalem and an end to the illegal “occupation” of the West Bank.

“The conflict is not between religions,” Abbas said. “Our fundamental problem is with the occupation and settlements and failure of Israel to recognize the state of Palestine.”

Trying to broker a Mideast peace has frustrated many of Trump’s predecessors, but the president was open to the challenge.

“I’ve heard it’s one of the toughest deals of all,” Trump said after a meeting on Monday with Netanyahu. “But I have a feeling we’re going to get there eventually . . . I hope.”