Netanyahu, Trump Bond Over Iran

By COLlive reporter

U.S. President Donald Trump made history on Monday as the first sitting American president to visit the Western Wall (Kotel) in Jerusalem and making Israel a stop on his first foreign trip.

What Trump didn’t accomplish was to make good on his election promise to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Despite turning down to join Trump at the Kotel, Netanyahu said: “Mr. President, I appreciate that you went to the Western Wall, and you were the first acting president that has done that, and the people of Israel applaud you for it.”

During a joint press conference on Monday evening at the Prime Minister’s residence in Jerusalem, the two leaders made every effort to emphasize their friendship and common goals.

Specifically, they agreed on the dangers of Iran possessing nuclear capabilities which the previous administration of Barack Obama has claimed to thwart with its deal.

“I want you to know how much we appreciate the change in American policy on Iran,” Netanyahu said. “It won’t be simple but for the first time in many years and the first time in my lifetime I see a real hope for change… I believe that together we can roll back Iran’s march of aggression and terror in this region.”

Before visiting Israel, Trump was in Riyadh to meet leaders of Sunni Arab nations who sought to build a mutual alliance against Iran, their Shiite rival ruled by clerics.

“Iran must never be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon — never ever — and must cease its deadly funding, training and equipping of terrorists and militias,” Trump said in Jerusalem.

Trump also accused Iran of fomenting “terrible violence” and said that Israel and the U.S. agree that Iran must never be allowed to possess nuclear weapons and should be forced to cease funding terrorism, Haaretz reported.

Trump revealed that “what happened in Iran has turned other parts of the Middle East toward Israel,” noting that these countries “were not feeling so well about Israel not so long ago.”