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For Many in the Holy Land, Trump's Visit Was a Success for What He Didn't Say

(Washington Post) Ruth Eglash - On his first trip to the Holy Land, it's what President Trump didn't do or say that made his visit a success: He did not discuss politics - at least not in any depth. During his public addresses in Jerusalem and Bethlehem, Trump talked forcefully about peace but refrained from berating one side or the other. Unlike his predecessor, there were no references to Israeli settlements. He also did not mention a Palestinian state, nor the status of Jerusalem. On the Israeli side, leaders said the ambiguity would give both sides the flexibility to resume negotiations and start peace-building measures. Israel's deputy minister for diplomacy, Michael Oren, a former ambassador to the U.S., said the two sides have been locked too tightly into a preset formula. "This president has a different approach to his predecessors," he said. "It also opens doors to other actors like Saudi Arabia." Israeli officials indicated they were looking for the U.S. to put more pressure on Arab countries to accept Israel first - only then would peace with the Palestinians be a possibility.
2017-05-26 00:00:00
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