President picks Middle East for first foreign trip in bid for unity
DONALD TRUMP will travel to Saudi Arabia, Israel and the Vatican this month on his first foreign trip, on a mission to unite three of the world’s leading religions against intolerance, terrorism and Iran.
The US president will meet Pope Francis in Rome after his Middle East visit, before a Nato summit in Brussels and a G7 conference in Sicily.
In a speech in the White House Rose Garden yesterday during an event dedicated to religious liberties, Mr Trump said he would use the trip to build cooperation between Muslims, Christians and Jews for fighting terrorism.
“Our task is not to dictate to others how to live but to build a coalition of friends and partners who share the goal of fighting terrorism and bringing safety, opportunity and stability to the war-ravaged Middle East,” he said.
Mr Trump has made fighting Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) and forging peace in the Middle East a focus of his foreign policy.
However, his administration has been accused of discriminating against Muslims through attempts to temporarily ban travel to the US from severalMuslim majority countries.
The president’s first stop will be Saudi Arabia, where he will take part in a “truly historic gathering” that will include “leaders from across the Muslim world”.
“We will begin to construct a new foundation of cooperation and support with our Muslim allies to combat extremism, terrorism and violence,” Mr Trump said.
He has said he is counting on Gulf allies to spearhead the ideological battle against Isil, as well as participate in military efforts.
Mr Trump, who met with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House in February, will then head to Israel.
His first foreign tour is a departure from tradition, with most presidents since Ronald Reagan travelling to Canada or Mexico. A senior White House official said there was a “catastrophe” unfolding in the Middle East, and that Mr Trump would use this trip to stress that Israel is not the cause of the problem.
“People blame Israel,” the official said. But he added that it is now “painfully obvious to everyone” that the vio- lence has been brought about by “Salafist jihadists” and “also by Iran”.
Mr Trump will then head to Italy, where he is expected to meet with Pope Francis at the Vatican.
The meeting is likely to be overshadowed by the harsh words the two exchanged over Mr Trump’s intention to build a wall along the border with Mexico. The Latin American pontiff ’s concern for migrants and refugees has put him sharply at odds with the Republican president.
“A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not of building bridges, is not Christian,” the Pope said last year.
Mr Trump responded furiously, saying the criticism was “disgraceful”.
He said: “I’m a very good Christian. For a religious leader to question a person’s faith is disgraceful.”
The White House none the less said Mr Trump was “honoured” to meet with the pontiff.
The Ppresident will also meet with British Archbishop Paul Gallagher, secretary for relations with states, in effect the Vatican’s foreign minister.
The trip will continue with a meeting with Nato leaders and then Italy for the G7 summit. The president previously called Nato “obsolete” but has since recanted after listening to European leaders make the case for the military alliance.
‘We will begin to construct a new foundation of cooperation and support with our Muslim allies’