28 May, 2017
Allowing them to do so could have led to accusations that Washington was implicitly recognising Israel's unilateral claim of sovereignty over the site, which would break with years of United States and worldwide precedent. But Trump, in a carefully worded speech, walked around the issue. "Trump administration officials also have issued a range of answers when pressed to explain whether they believe Jerusalem is part of Israel".
But as Air Force One lifted off, it became clear that wouldn't be the case.
What you see is a president who, on this trip, was keenly aware of Evangelical support for Israel, and who wanted to ensure that his visit would play well back home for the Republican party.
Trump has appointed his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as a senior adviser on brokering an Israel-Palestinian deal, while Jason Greenblatt, formerly a lawyer in his real estate group, has taken the day-to-day role of liaising with leaders and officials in the region on the nitty-gritty of a solution. No injuries were reported and a Palestinian man was held for questioning, a police spokesperson said. Rather than use the phrase "radical Islamic terrorism", President Trump referred to "Islamist extremism", a subtle but meaningful distinction that suggests the extremism is more ideological than religious.
Trump was enthusiastically received by Netanyahu, who leapt to his feet when the president declared that his administration "will always stand with Israel".
Exactly what that's going to look like is anyone's guess, as President Trump's visit to Israel involved a lot of broad statements about the concept of peace, but no details.
It's hardly surprising, then, that at this same press conference, Netanyahu told Trump, "I want you to know how much we appreciate the change in American policy on Iran ... and I want to tell you also how much we appreciate the reassertion of American leadership in the Middle East".
Paris-based political scientist Azadeh Kian said authorities in Tehran had not taken Trump's Riyadh speech seriously, pointing to a tweet by Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif saying that Washington was "milking" Saudi Arabia.
Later, after meetings with Italian leaders, Trump travels on to Brussels for a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation summit.
Those calls had mixed results. Yet for all his talk about overseeing the ultimate deal, there has been a curious gap in Trump's public rhetoric.
And in Brussels, NATO leaders chafed at Trump's lecture, which did not acknowledge member states' recent increases in military spending nor did it include a reaffirmed USA commitment to the alliance's mutual defense pledge, in light of Trump's disparaging comments about the alliance during his campaign.
"So many young, attractive innocent people living and enjoying their lives, murdered by evil losers in life", Trump said, echoing the theme he presented during his meetings with Arab leaders in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The former administration experts on our region, and the best brains the USA think tanks can produce - thus far, at least, nearly none of them has been drawn into the Trump administration brain trust.
Trump travelled to the Middle East to show the world American leadership has returned. But the lack of a public voice on the issue signaled a change in U.S. policy, which has preserved partnerships while also speaking vocally about the need for human rights reforms.
Re-elected Iranian President Hassan Rouhani likewise derided the ostensible "anti-terror" efforts of the USA and its Saudi ally Monday, calling the summit a "show-off" lacking any sort of "political or practical significance".
What you see is a president who is well-disposed toward Jews.
In Saudi Arabia, the first stop on the tour, Trump was at ease, admiring the king's welcome of a spectacle the actual king of Saudi Arabia had put on for him. In both countries, where the hosts showered Trump with flattery and warmth, Trump played the role of gracious guest.
These public displays of rejection have gone viral and have everyone asking: Why is Melania not into touching President Trump in public? "Trump is likely to discover that the region... is more complicated than he thought".
Anchor John Berman advanced Israeli propaganda when he commented on a tree that he said had been planted in honor of Trump. At the G7 in particular, his counterparts sought to sway him on climate change, free trade, Russian Federation and other issues. "He had said he'd move it the first day". "He came here to learn".
