US Vice President Mike Pence, hosting leaders last night at the White House to mark Israel’s Independence Day, reaffirmed the unwavering commitment of the United States to the state of Israel and further declared that President Donald Trump is “giving serious consideration” on standing by his promise to move the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
“And, under president Donald Trump, let me assure you of this, if the world knows nothing else, the world will know this: America stands with Israel.” / “And the President of the United States, as we speak, is giving serious consideration to moving the American embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem,” said Pence.
President Trump, who has vowed to work for a peace agreement between Israel the Palestinians, decided to hold back on his promise to relocate the Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a move that would have challenged Washington’s position in brokering an “ultimate deal” that would see an end to the decades old conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. That said, the American Vice President emphasized that even though Washington expects both Israel and the Palestinians to compromise, to make a peace agreement possible, President Donald Trump would not compromise on the security of the Jewish state.
“To be clear, the President is also personally committed to resolving the Israeli and Palestinian conflict. Even now we’re making valuable progress toward the noble goal of peace. Thanks to the president’s tireless leadership momentum is building, and goodwill is growing, and that while there will undoubtedly have to be compromises, you can rest assured President Donald Trump will never compromise the safety and security of the Jewish state of Israel. Not now, not ever,” added Pence.
The comments by the Vice President came ahead of a meeting scheduled today between President Donald Trump and his Palestinian counterpart, Mahmoud Abbas. Following two meetings between the two leaders behind closed doors, Trump and Abbas are expected to hold a joint press conference, after which they will attend a formal dinner together. During his official state visit to the United States, President Abbas is also scheduled to meet with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, top figures in the American Jewish community, and ambassadors from Arab countries.
The meeting with the Palestinian President is the last in the series of meetings and consultations President Donald Trump held on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah, among others. The series of meetings were aimed at providing President Trump with a better understanding of the decades old conflict, including the regional implications of the matter. According to US officials, following Trumps meeting with Abbas, the American President is expected to release a document that will set his Presidential guidelines to the long-stalled negotiations, aimed at asserting his vision for bringing about the long-desired peace agreement.