Trump: Palestinians Aren't Looking to Making Peace – but I'm Not Sure Israel Is Either

U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C. on February 9, 2018.Bloomberg

U.S. President Donald Trump said in an interview published Sunday that Israeli settlements in the West Bank complicate the task of making peace with the Palestinians.

Trump, who spoke in an interview with Israel Hayom newspaper, also said that he is not sure Israel and the Palestinians are looking to reaching a peace agreement.

According to Trump, "I think both sides will have to make hard compromises to reach a peace agreement."

Israel Hayom, which is owned by Republican mega-donor Sheldon Adelson, is considered close to and supportive of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

 
Asked when the forestalled U.S. peace plan will be released, Trump answered, "We are going to see what goes on. Right now, I would say the Palestinians are not looking to make peace, they are not looking to make peace. And I am not necessarily sure that Israel is looking to make peace. So we are just going to have to see what happens."

On the topic of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, Trump said they "always have complicated making peace" and added that "Israel has to be very careful with the settlements."

When asked if he noticed a change in Iran's conduct ever since he's declared them to be under warning, Trump replied he has "noticed very much a change" in their conduct, but would not attest as to what kind of change. "But there has definitely been a change," Trump concluded.

Excerpts of the interview were published Friday, in which Trump stated that his December 6 declaration recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital was the high point of his time in office.

According to Trump, "Obama was terrible" for Israel because he facilitated the nuclear deal with Iran.