What did Donald Trump say this week about Israel and Palestine?

On Wednesday the new US president made his first significant comments about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since taking office. Speaking alongside the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, whom he was hosting at the White House, Trump suggested that the United States would no longer insist on a two-state solution to the decades-long conflict. “I’m looking at a two-state and a one-state solution, and I like the one that both parties like,” he said, adding that, although he once thought a two-state solution would be easier, now he was not so sure.

What do the alternative solutions propose?

The two-state solution envisages two states for two groups of people: an independent state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel. Although Trump did not clarify what he meant by a one-state solution, the term is usually taken to mean a single Israeli state incorporating the Palestinian people – something that Palestinians have opposed.

Why is this week’s statement significant?

In one sentence Trump appeared to have dismantled two decades of US policy on Israel. He also caused alarm in capitals across the world. The idea that the Palestinian people have the right to an independent state alongside Israel has been the cornerstone of western policy on the Middle East for at least 20 years.

Was this is a surprise?

In many ways, no. On the campaign trail Trump had clearly flagged a shift in US policy on Israel. He pledged to move the American embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem – a highly sensitive issue for Palestinians given Jerusalem’s status as a contested city. Technically, the United States Congress legislated for the embassy move in 2005, but every president since then has waived the measure, judging it not to be in the national interest. Trump also risked antagonising Palestinians by nominating David Friedman, the son of an Orthodox rabbi who has said he opposes a two-state solution and supports Israeli settlements, as US ambassador.

Does Trump have a point? The move towards a two-state solution doesn’t seem to be working, so is it time to try something new?

Yes, the Israeli- Palestinian peace talks have been mired in difficulty for years. But many fear that Trump is prepared to abandon the two-state solution without an alternative, a move that could be highly disruptive for the region. Trump’s declaration that he liked the option “that both parties like” was seen as dismissive and typical of his transactional approach to US foreign policy. He also appeared to signal that the United States would be less involved in the peace process than before.

Did he have any words of sympathy for the Palestinian side?

Trump said at his news conference that Palestinians need to get rid of the hate they learned from a very young age, but he did deliver a mild rebuke to Netanyahu, urging the US ally to “hold back on settlements for a little bit”, in a reference to Israel’s announcement since Trump’s election that it plans to build more than 6,000 settlement homes. Trump has also suggested involving other Arab allies in the peace talks, a move that many would welcome.

How have the Palestinians reacted?

With alarm and bafflement. Saeb Erekat, the Palestinians’ chief negotiator, said the shift risked apartheid in the region and called for concrete measures to save the two-state solution. There are also concerns that it could spark violence in the region. The spectre of a third intifada looms large over the Middle East. Although the reaction has so far been limited to the political realm, the last thing anyone in the international community wants is a resurgence of violence in an already highly troubled region.