Trump flags possible visit to Israel for Jerusalem embassy move

President Donald Trump says he may travel to Tel Aviv when the new US embassy opens as visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called out Iran.

US President Donald Trump (right) and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meet in the Oval Office of the White House.

US President Donald Trump (right) and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meet in the Oval Office of the White House. Source: Getty

US President Donald Trump says he may travel to Israel for the opening of the US embassy there as he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented a united front against Iran in White House talks.

Mr Trump's decision for the US to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move the embassy there from Tel Aviv reversed decades of US policy, aggravated Arab allies and has complicated his administration's attempt to revive long-stalled Middle East peace talks.

The US leader, with Mr Netanyahu at his side in the Oval Office on Monday, said he was considering making what would be his second visit to Jerusalem as president. The opening of the US embassy is planned for May.

"We're looking at coming," Mr Trump said. "If I can, I will."




Mired in corruption investigations threatening his political survival, Mr Netanyahu - questioned at his home by police on Friday - stepped into a different spotlight during his five-day US visit.

Mr Trump's push to change or scrap Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers and concerns over Tehran's foothold in Syria topped the agenda of his talks with Mr Netanyahu, US and Israeli officials said.

Both leaders have long railed against the deal, citing its limited duration and the fact it does not cover Iran's ballistic missile program or its support for anti-Israel militants in the region.

"If I had to say what is our greatest challenge in the Middle East to both our countries, to our Arab neighbours, it's encapsulated in one word: Iran," Mr Netanyahu said.

"Iran must be stopped. That is our common challenge."



Mr Trump has threatened to pull out of the agreement unless European allies help "fix" it with a follow-up accord.

An Israeli official said Mr Netanyahu and Mr Trump were likely to talk about how to overcome European resistance on the matter.


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2 min read
Published 6 March 2018 6:52am
Updated 6 March 2018 7:53pm


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