President Trump said Wednesday he hopes to develop a Middle East peace plan by the end of this year.
“We’re working along on that,” Mr. Trump said in a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “I really believe something will happen. It is a dream of mine to be able to get that done prior to the end of my first term.”
He said he hopes to forge a plan for Israelis and Palestinians in the next “two to three to four months.”
“I like two-state solution,” Mr. Trump said. “That’s what I think works best. It has to be good for both parties.”
Palestinian leaders have been extremely pessimistic in public about the prospects of a deal, especially since Mr. Trump moved the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, which Palestinians want as their capital.
Mr. Trump said he believes the Palestinians will come back to the negotiating table “100 percent.” Also in the meeting was the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who has been working on the issue.
The president also said that Israel is being aggressive with its defensive military actions out of necessity.
“We are with you,” he told Mr. Netanyahu. “We are with Israel 100 percent — very much in favor of what Israel is doing as far as their defense is concerned.”
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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