JERUSALEM: US President Donald Trump visited Jerusalem and the Western Wall on Monday as he sought ways to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace, but also used the opportunity to again lash out at Iran.
Trump鈥檚 visit is part of his first trip abroad as president, and follows an initial stop in 抖阴短视频 where he urged Islamic leaders to confront extremism while also criticizing Iran.
It comes as he contends with a raft of problems back home, including a special counsel investigating whether his associates colluded with Russia.
Trump landed in Tel Aviv on Monday afternoon, welcomed by officials including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
He later traveled by helicopter to Jerusalem and, in remarks at President Reuven Rivlin鈥檚 residence, launched another salvo against Iran, Israel鈥檚 arch-enemy.
鈥淭he United States and Israel can declare with one voice that Iran must never be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon 鈥� never ever 鈥� and must cease its deadly funding, training and equipping of terrorists and militias,鈥� Trump said.
鈥淎nd it must cease immediately.鈥�
When meeting Netanyahu, Trump said Iran should have thanked the United States for the 2015 nuclear accord between Tehran and world powers because it led to the lifting of sanctions.
鈥淚nstead of saying thank you to the United States, they now feel emboldened,鈥� Trump said.
In Tehran on Monday, Iran鈥檚 newly re-elected President Hassan Rouhani ridiculed US strategy in the Middle East, dismissing Trump鈥檚 summit with Arab leaders in 抖阴短视频 as 鈥渏ust a show.鈥�
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Before dinner at Netanyahu鈥檚 residence, Trump again spoke of a 鈥渞enewed effort at peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians,鈥� but avoided delving into details of the conflict.
鈥淚鈥檝e heard it鈥檚 one of the toughest deals of all, but I have a feeling that we鈥檙e going to get there eventually, I hope,鈥� he said.
Speaking earlier, he said: 鈥淲e have before us a rare opportunity to bring security and stability and peace to this region and to its people, defeating terrorism and creating a future of harmony, prosperity and peace.鈥�
On Tuesday, Trump will meet Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in Bethlehem in the West Bank, visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem and give a speech at the Israel Museum.
Any leader would face an enormous challenge in seeking to bring the Israelis and Palestinians together for meaningful talks, and Trump鈥檚 inexperience and domestic political struggles will only add to it.
He has spoken of his self-described deal-making prowess in vowing 鈥渨e will get it done.鈥�
Trump has sent mixed signals about how he will approach the conflict.
He cast uncertainty over years of international efforts to foster a two-state solution when he met Netanyahu at the White House in February.
Single state solution
At that meeting, he said he would support a single state if it led to peace, delighting Israeli right-wingers who want to see most of the West Bank annexed.
At the same time, he urged Israel to hold back on settlement building in the West Bank, a longstanding concern of Palestinians and much of the world.
Trump advocated during his campaign breaking with decades of precedent and moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, deeply alarming Palestinians.
He has since said the move was still being looked at.
Trump鈥檚 seeming openness to at least some of Abbas鈥檚 concerns has given Palestinians more reason for hope than many may have expected, but still reason to remain wary, some analysts say.
On the Israeli side, Netanyahu heads what is seen as the most right-wing government in the country鈥檚 history, and members of his coalition were elated with Trump鈥檚 election.
Trump鈥檚 actions since have left them disappointed, with the embassy remaining in Tel Aviv 鈥� at least for now 鈥� and the White House seeking to restart peace efforts.
However, the United States remains Israel鈥檚 most important ally, providing it with more than $3 billion in defense aid annually.
After Israel and the Palestinian territories, Trump will head to the Vatican along with Brussels and Italy for NATO and G7 meetings.