U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he "will decide what I think is right" on a long-term solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Trump made a brief visit to the Middle East to join regional leaders Monday in signing a declaration meant to cement a ceasefire in Gaza after two years of war.
Addressing the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Trump noted "a lot of people like the one state solution, some people like the two state solutions. We'll have to see."
"I will decide what I think is right, but I'd be in coordination with other states and other countries," he told journalists aboard Air Force One.
Around three-quarters of the 193 U.N. member states recognize the Palestinian state proclaimed in 1988 by the exiled Palestinian leadership.
The United States, Israel's closest ally, criticized the decision last month by allies including Britain and Canada to recognize Palestine as a state.
Declaraiton of peace
The leaders of Türkiye, the United States, Qatar and Egypt have signed a declaration of peace for Gaza with a common objective of bringing stability and prosperity to the entire Middle East during yesterday's historic summit in Shark el-Sheikh resort of Egypt.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, U.S. President Trump, Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi signed “The Trump Declaration for Enduring Peace and Prosperity” on Oct. 13.
The declaration follows the approval of a 20-article plan by Trump that ended the bloodshed in Gaza at the hands of Israel and launched a process for a permanent peace between Israel and Palestine.
“We, the undersigned, welcome the truly historic commitment and implementation by all parties to the Trump Peace Agreement, ending more than two years of profound suffering and loss — opening a new chapter for the region defined by hope, security and a shared vision for peace and prosperity,” read the declaration.
Wowing to implement the agreement in a manner that ensures peace, security, stability and opportunity for all peoples of the region, including both Palestinians and Israelis, the declaration stressed: “We understand that lasting peace will be one in which both Palestinians and Israelis can prosper with their fundamental human rights protected, their security guaranteed and their dignity upheld.”
The signatories are united in their determination “to dismantle extremism and radicalization in all its forms,” the declaration underlined: “No society can flourish when violence and racism are normalized, or when radical ideologies threaten the fabric of civil life. We commit to addressing the conditions that enable extremism and to promoting education, opportunity and mutual respect as foundations for lasting peace.”
‘Diplomacy should prevail in resolving conflicts
According to the blueprint, the four leaders commit “to the resolution of future disputes through diplomatic engagement and negotiation rather than through force or protracted conflict.”
“We acknowledge that the Middle East cannot endure a persistent cycle of prolonged warfare, stalled negotiations or the fragmentary, incomplete, or selective application of successfully negotiated terms. The tragedies witnessed over the past two years must serve as an urgent reminder that future generations deserve better than the failures of the past,” it stated.
“We pursue a comprehensive vision of peace, security and shared prosperity in the region, grounded in the principles of mutual respect and shared destiny,” the declaration read.
“In this spirit, we welcome the progress achieved in establishing comprehensive and durable peace arrangements in the Gaza Strip, as well as the friendly and mutually beneficial relationship between Israel and its regional neighbors. We pledge to work collectively to implement and sustain this legacy, building institutional foundations upon which future generations may thrive together in peace. We commit ourselves to a future of enduring peace,” it said.
