Trump says he’s ‘not sure Israel wants peace’ with Palestinians
US President Donald Trump said in an interview published on Sunday that he was “not necessarily sure” Israel was seeking to reach a peace agreement with the Palestinians.
Trump has previously denounced the Palestinians for what he sees as their unwillingness to negotiate, but he has largely refrained from criticising Israel.
Speaking to free sheet daily Israel Hayom, Trump noted that while US-Israel relations were “great”, peace with the Palestinians would make them “a lot better”.
It is very foolish for the Palestinians and … very foolish for the Israelis if they don’t make a [peace] deal
“Right now, I would say the Palestinians are not looking to make peace. They are not looking to make peace,” Trump said in the interview with the right-wing paper. “And I am not necessarily sure that Israel is looking to make peace. So we are just going to have to see what happens.”
Trump also expressed concerns about Israeli settlement building, although his administration has been far less critical of settlements than his predecessor Barack Obama.
Trump’s ambassador to Israel David Friedman has in the past been a supporter of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
“The settlements are something that very much complicates and always have complicated making peace, so I think Israel has to be very careful with the settlements,” he said.