President Trump on Thursday said that “there is a chance for a peace deal” between Israel and Palestine.
Trump, speaking at a news conference in Hanoi, Vietnam, after an abrupt ending to his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, added that he would “love to be able to produce” what he called “the toughest of all deals.”
{mosads}”The toughest of all deals would be peace between Israel and Palestinians. They say it’s like the impossible deal. I’d love to be able to produce it. We’ll see what happens,” said Trump said as his summit ended early.
“I think we have, actually, a good shot at peace between Israel and the Palestinians,” Trump added.
Trump’s son-in-law and White House adviser Jared Kushner is currently in the Middle East on a tour to push the Trump administration’s proposed peace plan.
Kushner met this week with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the first time since the killing of U.S.-based Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The Trump administration has made a number of moves in Israel’s interest since taking office.
Last year, the administration relocated the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a move that angered Palestinian leaders. The administration also reportedly plans to merge the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem, the diplomatic office that serves Palestinians, with the embassy.
Trump has also regularly lauded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, including on Thursday, when Trump called him a “great prime minister.”
“I can say this: that he’s done a great job as prime minister,” Trump said. “He’s tough, he’s smart, he’s strong.”
Those remarks came as Netanyahu faces a possible indictment on corruption charges. The indictment could be announced as soon as Thursday, according to The New York Times.
Additionally, relations between the U.S. and Palestine have deteriorated during the Trump administration. In addition to moving the embassy, the Trump administration also cut $200 million in aid for the Palestinian Authority.
The U.S. also has stopped funding the U.N. Relief and Works Agency, a United Nations body that gives out aid to Palestinian refugees.
Those moves have attracted criticism from Palestinians, with the head of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s general delegation to the United States saying last year that Trump was embracing Netanyahu’s “anti-peace agenda.”