Trump wants two-state solution for Middle East conflict
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 said in the past it would support a twostate solution if both sides agreed to it.
Mr Trump also said in a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the United Nations General Assembly 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,” Mr Trump said.
Mr Netanyahu has said any future Palestinian state must be demilitarised and must recognise Israel as the state of the Jewish people, conditions that Palestinians say show he is not sincere about peacemaking.
The United States’ Arab allies are strong proponents of a two-state solution.
Mr Trump said at a news conference in New York later on Wednesday he would be open to a onestate solution if that was the preference of the parties themselves, a position he had 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.”
Mr Trump added that “it is a dream of mine” to secure an agreement before the end of his term in office in early 2021.
“I don’t want to do it in my second term. We’ll do other things in my second term,” he said. “I think a lot of progress has been made.”
Mr Netanyahu said after meeting Mr Trump he was “not surprised” at his preference for a twostate solution for peace with the Palestinians, Israeli media reports said.
Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki said Mr Trump’s broad commitment to a two-state solution was not enough.
“He has to spell it clearly, the two states [based on 1967 borders], that East Jerusalem is an occupied territory. These [issues] are very important for us in order us to really move forward,” Mr Maliki said in New York after meeting representatives of dozens of countries on the sidelines of the annual gathering of world leaders.