Sources from Jerusalem have reported that President Trump questioned Israel's interest in making peace with the Palestinians in an interview published on Sunday, spotlighting its West Bank settlements as a complicating factor. Meanwhile in an interview Trump also cast doubt on the Palestinians' desire to strike a deal.
But his comments about Israel mark rare criticism from a president who has publicly sparred with the Palestinians while forging warm ties with Israel ahead of the expected presentation of a US peace outline. Trump said still "Palestinians are not looking to make peace. And he is not necessarily sure that Israel is looking to make peace. So we are just going to have to see what happens".
Trump White House has been less publicly critical of Israel's settlement
building than previous administrations. Trump said "The settlements are
something that very much complicates and always have complicated making peace,
so he thinks Israel has to be very careful with the settlements".
Relations between the US and the Palestinians have spiraled since Trump recognized
Jerusalem as Israel's capital in December.
