"I will tell you, I think if we’re ever going to negotiate a peace settlement … I think it would be more helpful is as a negotiator, if I go in and say I’m pro-Israel, but at least have the other side know I’m somewhat neutral to them so that we can maybe get a deal done," Trump said on Thursday during a Republican presidential debate in Miami, as quoted by The Hill.
The decades-long conflict between the Palestinians and Israelis has recently seen increased tensions. On Tuesday, a series of knife and gun attacks by Palestinians took place in three Israeli cities, namely Jaffa, Petah Tikva and Jerusalem. The assailant, a Palestinian man, was shot and killed after he stabbed 11 people in the Jaffa port area of Tel Aviv. A US tourist was later confirmed to have died in the attack.
Palestinians seek diplomatic and economic recognition for their independent state on the territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, partially occupied by Israel, and the Gaza Strip. Israel has been building settlements on the occupied territories, despite objections from the United Nations.
