WASHINGTON – Donald Trump said he may attend the opening of acontroversial new US embassy in Jerusalem, a fraught prospect designed tounderscore close ties with Benjamin Netanyahu, as he hosted the Israelileader at the White House on Monday.
The embattled US president warmly welcomed the embattled Israeli primeminister, claiming ties between their two countries had “never been better”as he floated a May trip that would be a major security and diplomaticchallenge.
In the Oval Office, Netanyahu praised Trump s highly contentious decisionto move the embassy to Jerusalem — which both Israel and the Palestiniansclaim as their capital.
Asked if he would take part in the planned ceremony, which will coincidewith the 70th anniversary of Israel s declaration of independence, Trumpsaid “I may, we ll be talking about that.”
“If I can, I will,” Trump added, “Israel is very special to me, specialcountry, special people.”
Such a visit would risk pouring gasoline on an already enflamed situationand curb US claims to be an independent broker in the peace process.
Trump s plan to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem this yearhas brought the two leaders closer together, but it has also infuriatedPalestinians and was condemned by 128 states in a United Nations GeneralAssembly vote in December.
But Monday s meeting was all smiles at the White House as the two leaders– both facing serious legal investigations — put on a joint show of unity.
Hours before Netanyahu arrived at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, it wasconfirmed that an ex-aide agreed to become a state witness in a corruptionprobe that has imperiled his premiership.
The Israeli leader has embraced the Trumpian tactic of denouncingcorruption allegations as “fake news.”
It is a method that Trump has honed in dealing with an investigation intowhether his campaign team colluded with Russia during the 2016 US elections.
Several of Trump campaign aides are facing charges or have pled guilty tolying to FBI investigators.
Netanyahu s visit while in Washington to the annual conference of theinfluential lobby group the American Israel Public Affairs Committee(AIPAC), will provide a boost for the right-wing Israeli leader as scandalsand political turmoil brew at home.
Trump has offered unswerving support for Israel since coming to office,sharing Netanyahu s determination to challenge Iran s growing regionalinfluence.
“I think they are partners in ideology, and the ideology is a populist,conservative ideology which says that the old liberal elites are againstus,” said Gayil Talshir, a political scientist at Jerusalem s HebrewUniversity.
The Middle East peace process grew even more complicated recently afterJared Kushner, the president s son-in-law and one of his senior advisers,lost his top-secret security clearance.
But Netanyahu is not thought to be overly concerned about any delay inrestarting the peace talks.
In his encounters with Trump and at the AIPAC conference, he was expectedto focus mainly on Iran as Israel s greatest enemy, and one he says seeks apermanent military presence in neighboring Syria.
The prime minister is also expected to call again for changes to, or thecancellation of, the nuclear accord between world powers and Iran, saidZalman Shoval, a former Israeli ambassador to Washington. – APP/AFP