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President Trump made headlines yesterday on a number of topics, including changing his stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He said out loud that he would like to see the creation of a Palestinian state. The reaction from Israel has been mixed. NPR's Daniel Estrin reports from Jerusalem.
DANIEL ESTRIN, BYLINE: President Trump met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York yesterday, and reporters asked Trump whether he supported a two-state solution, the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.
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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I like two-state solution.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Mr. President?
TRUMP: That's what I think works best.
ESTRIN: For decades, the U.S. backed that solution as a key for Israeli-Palestinian peace. Yesterday was the first time Trump publicly voiced his preference for a Palestinian state. In response, a spokesman for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said the road to peace requires a two-state solution. Trump's comments were a gesture toward the Palestinian position after months of rocky relations with the Palestinians, after the U.S. recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital. In a press conference, Trump elaborated on his comment supporting a Palestinian state.
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TRUMP: You know what I did today? By saying that, I put it out there. And if you ask most of the people in Israel, they agree with that. But nobody wanted to say it. It's a big thing to put it out. It's a very big thing to put it out. Now, the bottom line. If the Israelis and the Palestinians want one state, that's OK with me. If they want two states, that's OK with me.
ESTRIN: Yesterday Netanyahu did not take a clear position on a Palestinian state. In a briefing with reporters, he said he wants the Palestinians to rule themselves, but Israel would need to retain full security control in Palestinian areas. Many in Netanyahu's government are opposed to a Palestinian state. Two prominent cabinet ministers tweeted their opposition yesterday. A third, cabinet minister Yuval Steinitz, told Israeli Army Radio he supports a different solution...
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YUVAL STEINITZ: (Foreign language spoken).
ESTRIN: ...A confederation between the Palestinians and Jordan, not a Palestinian state. He said the Palestinians have no ability to handle a state by themselves. Trump says he'll unveil his peace plan within two to four months. Today Abbas and Netanyahu, the Palestinian and Israeli leaders, address the United Nations. Daniel Estrin, NPR News, Jerusalem. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
