Speaking through a translator, Abbas said that Trump has "the determination" and "the desire" to see such a peace effort "come to fruition". "We are going to have lunch, we are going to have discussions".
Trump's long-shot effort to bring Middle East peace got off to a rocky start when he renounced support for a Palestinian state and vowed to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, breaking two tenets of American policy held for decades.
"Hopefully something terrific can come out between the Palestinians and Israel", the USA president said at a press conference in Washington D.C. on Wednesday.
At the same time, Trump has urged Israel to hold back on settlement building in the West Bank, a longstanding concern of Palestinians and much of the world. "We want to create peace between Israel and the Palestinians".
One of Trump's top advisers, Jason Greenblatt, held wide-ranging talks with both Israelis and Palestinians during a visit in March.
Both leaders avoided mentioning any specifics on the way forward beyond a U.S. push to counter incitement and hate rhetoric from the Palestinian side.
The president made the comment during a joint news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who on February 15 made his first visit to the White House since Trump became president. "But any agreement can not be imposed by the United States or by any other nation".
Abbas is calling for a peace that is "just and comprehensive" and tells Trump that he believes "we are coming into a new opportunity, a new horizon" that could lead to peace with Israel.
Asks Donald Trump To Stay In The Paris Agreement
As a candidate, the president expressed doubt about climate change, but has offered a fluid stance since taking office in January. Attendees said the U.S. has been keeping a relatively low profile at the informal meetings in light of a pending decision.
"We will get this done", Trump vowed. "I affirm to you that we are raising our youth, our children, our grandchildren on a culture of peace", he said, a contention that Israeli officials would reject.
He also added that a peace deal based on a two-state solution would aid the fight against terrorism.
According to the Palestinian leader, reaching an agreement based on that solution would give a great boost to other Arab peace initiatives and allow fighting the self-named terrorist group Islamic State.
Trump "is a results-oriented businessman who feels an intense responsibility to succeed for his investors, in this case the American people", McMaster said Tuesday at Independence Day celebrations hosted by Israel's embassy in Washington, agreeing with those who say Trump is "disruptive".
The 82-year-old Palestinian spoke in Arabic during the event but concluded in English by addressing Mr. Trump directly.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dennis Ross said Israelis and Palestinians were as pessimistic today about a deal as they had been in the past 30 years.
Trump ignored a question from a reporter about whether he still plans to move the USA embassy to Jerusalem. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson added that "there are a number of positive conditions in place, and I know under your leadership that we hope good things will happen".
During his statement Abbas classified Israel as an occupier and demanded a two-state solution along 1967 borders, which would put the Jewish state in an indefensible position against enemies.
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