Trump, Abbas stress longing for Middle East peace

BETHLEHEM, Middle East - US President Donald Trump arrived in the West Bank city of Bethlehem on Tuesday to hold talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Both leaders stressed their longing for peace and for achieving a peaceful settlement for the Palestinians-Israeli conflict through peace negotiations.

After the short meeting, Abbas and Trump held a news conference at the presidential headquarters in Bethlehem.

Abbas highlighted that he is keen for the success of the peace efforts as the key for peace in the region and the world is achieving peace in Palestine.

He reiterated the Palestinian commitment to work with the US leader to achieve a historic peace deal, based on the two-state solution.

He also pointed out that there are several hundred detainees in Israeli jails who are on an open-ended hunger strike and urged Israel to to end their suffering.

Trump said that he will exert all possible efforts to achieve a peace deal between Palestinians and Israelis, stressing that "he is looking forward to working with President Abbas to support Palestinian economy".

The most high-profile moment of Trump's stay in Jerusalem was his Monday visit to the Western Wall, one of the holiest sites in Judaism.

He became the first sitting US president to visit the site in the Israeli-annexed east of the city.

He was not accompanied by any Israeli leaders during the visit.

Holocaust memorial

Later on Tuesday, Trump returned to Jerusalem to visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial and gave a speech at the Israel Museum before wrapping up his two-day stop.

Trump's visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories is part of his first trip abroad as president, and follows an initial leg in Saudi Arabia, where he urged Muslim leaders to confront extremism.

Security was tight for Trump's journey to Bethlehem, a 20-minute drive from Jerusalem but located across Israel's separation wall.

The wall is part of a project begun in 2002 during the second Palestinian intifada, or uprising, that is to extend about 700 kilometers once completed.

Xinhua - AP