WASHINGTON (AP) – The Latest on President Donald Trump’s meeting Wednesday with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas (all times EDT):
12:30 p.m.
President Donald Trump says he’ll “do whatever is necessary” to reach a Mideast peace agreement and he believes “there’s a very, very good chance” of bringing Israel and the Palestinians together.
Trump has met with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in the Oval Office, and the president says he’d “love to be a mediator, an arbitrator or a facilitator” between the two sides.
He says “we want to create peace” and he believes “we will get it done.” But he also says a deal “cannot be imposed by the United States or any other nation.”
Abbas spoke through an interpreter and said: “We are coming into a new opportunity a new horizon that would enable us to bring about peace.”
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12:10 p.m.
President Donald Trump is expressing optimism for resumed peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel.
He made the comment at the start of his Oval Office meeting with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas (mahk-MOOD’ ah-BAHS’).
Trump says that “hopefully something terrific can come out between the Palestinians and Israel” and that “we’ve been working on that one a long time.”
Trump says “maybe we can end that journey and start a much better journey.”
It’s the first direct meeting between Trump and Abbas.
