Published: 09:48 AM, 23 May 2017
Trump to meet Palestinian leader Abbas
US President Donald Trump is to meet the leader of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, on the final day of his visit to the Middle East.
Israel and the Palestinians have not held direct talks for more than three years and Mr Trump acknowledged it was "one of the toughest deals of all".
On Monday, he stressed the strong bonds between the US and Israel.
He also warned of the threat from Iran to international peace, a theme he spoke on earlier in Saudi Arabia.
He told Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, that Iran would never have nuclear weapons.
The two-day visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories forms part of Mr Trump's first foreign trip as US president.
President Trump sees himself as a great dealmaker, with the personality to cut through the difficulties that have defeated lesser people.
The only credible ideas still require the creation of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state alongside Israel. The reality is that the Israelis and Palestinians are way apart on the main issues - the future of east Jerusalem, the fate of Palestinian refugees and the borders of an independent Palestine. The two sets of leaders also do not trust each other.
The West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has been occupied by Israel for 50 years. Some of the most influential members of the Israeli government believe the land is a Jewish possession, given by God.
The Palestinians are deeply divided, with Fatah in charge in the West Bank and in Gaza the Islamists of Hamas, who have been condemned by President Trump in the last few days as terrorists.
It is highly unlikely that even President Trump's outsize personality will be enough, on its own, to end a conflict that has lasted more than a century. Making this deal is not about fixing a price - it is about reconciling enemies with radically different world views.
A Palestinian protest against Mr Trump's visit, and over conditions in Israeli prisons, turned into a riot on Monday at the Qalandia checkpoint in the West Bank, close to Jerusalem.
