BICOM

The US President yesterday repeated his determination to secure a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians at the final event of his Israel visit.

President Donald Trump delivered a speech at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, the final stop on his 26-hour visit to Israel and the West Bank. Prior to the speech, Mr Trump met Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem. He described it as a great meeting and said Abbas is ready to reach a peace deal.

Trump set out his vision for regional peace that he discussed in Saudi Arabia last week. He expressed a desire to “build a coalition of partners who share the aim of stamping out extremism and violence”. He also stressed that for this to happen, “the Middle East requires the world to fully recognize the vital role of the state of Israel”.

Trump vowed to prevent Iran “from developing a nuclear weapon and halting their support of terrorists,” which was well received by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Cabinet members in attendance.

On Tuesday morning the US President rekindled the eternal flame at a memorial ceremony at Yad Vashem. Following the ceremony, Trump said the Holocaust was: “the most savage crime against God and His children, and it is our solemn duty to remember, to mourn, to grieve and to honour every single life that was so cruelly and viciously taken.” Trump was presented with a token of remembrance by Yad Vashem Chairman Avner Shalev in the form of an exact replica of the diary that belonged to Ester Goldstein, who was murdered in the Holocaust at the age of 16.

Trump left Israel on Tuesday afternoon and flew to Rome for a meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican.