Pledge for peace
Don, Abbas to strive for Israel pact
President Trump and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday vowed to work together to strike a peace deal with Israel that would bring stability to the Middle East.
“I will do whatever is necessary to facilitate the agreement to mediate, to arbitrate anything they’d like to do, but I would love to be a mediator or an arbitrator or a facilitator and we will get this done,” Trump said at a joint appearance with Abbas at the White House.
But, the president warned, it is not up to the United States to impose a deal on the two sides.
“The Palestinians and Israelis must work together to reach an agreement that allows both peoples to live, worship and thrive and prosper in peace,” he said.
Abbas also said he was optimistic that progress could be made, while praising Trump’s deal-making skills.
“I look much forward to working with you in order to come to that historical agreement, historic deal to bring about peace,” he said, speaking through a translator.
But Abbas in his remarks set parameters for a deal that Israel would likely oppose — including a requirement that Israel return Arab land it annexed following the 1967 Arab-Israeli War.
“Our strategic option, our strategic choice is to bring about peace based on the vision of two states, a Palestinian state, with its capital of east Jerusalem, that lives in peace and stability with the state of Israel based on the borders of 1967," Abbas said.
Israel has staunchly opposed giving up all of the land it annexed on the West Bank, Golan Heights and east Jerusalem.
Trump also called on Abbas to renounce terrorism.
“There could be no lasting peace unless the Palestinian leaders speak in a unified voice against incitement to violence and hate,” Trump said.
“All children of God must be taught to value and respect human life and condemn all of those who target the innocent.”