A top Donald Trump adviser has suggested rising global anti-semitism would force the expansion of the illegal Israeli settlements encroaching onto Palestinian territory.

Robert O’Brien, the Trump administration’s national security adviser, was defending Mr Trump’s Middle East peace plan that was unveiled earlier this month during a meeting with other diplomats on Wednesday.

Mr O’Brien said Mr Trump’s plan, while not perfect, was a good deal for the Palestinians and urged them to give their support.

“This could be the last opportunity for a two-state solution,” Mr O’Brien said. “The Israeli birth rate is strong and is growing because sadly anti-Semitism in Europe and other places around the world is encouraging more Jews to return to Israel. The settlements are going to continue to expand. If this freeze on settlements doesn’t hold. If this peace process doesn’t work, it may be physically impossible to have a two-state solution.”

Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan Show all 18 1 /18 Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan TOPSHOT - Palestinian demonstrators chant slogans and wave Palestinian flags as they stand by flaming tyres during a protest against US President Donald Trump's expected peace plan proposal in Gaza City on January 28, 2020. (Photo by MAHMUD HAMS / AFP) (Photo by MAHMUD HAMS/AFP via Getty Images) MAHMUD HAMS AFP via Getty Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan Palestinian protesters burn pictures of US President Donald Trump and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a demonstration in the West Bank against the expected peace plan proposal AFP via Getty Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan US President and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announce Trump's Middle East peace plan in the White House AFP via Getty Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan Palestinians protest as smoke rises from burning tires ahead of the announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump of his long-delayed Mideast peace plan, in Gaza City January 28, 2020. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY MOHAMMED SALEM Reuters Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan Palestinian demonstrators chant slogans as they stand by flaming tyres during a protest against US President Donald Trump's expected peace plan proposal in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip . - Palestinians staged protests against US President Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan, hours before it was to be unveiled in Washington. Thousands demonstrated in Gaza, burning pictures of Trump and the American flag, while further rallies were planned for the coming days. (Photo by SAID KHATIB / AFP) (Photo by SAID KHATIB/AFP via Getty Images) SAID KHATIB AFP via Getty Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan Palestinian protesters wave the national flag during a demonstration in the West Bank city of Ramallah on January 28, 2020, against US President Donald Trump's expected peace plan proposal. - Palestinians staged protests against US President Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan, hours before it was to be unveiled in Washington. Thousands demonstrated in Gaza, burning pictures of Trump and the American flag, while further rallies were planned for the coming days. (Photo by Ahmad GHARABLI / AFP) (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images) AHMAD GHARABLI AFP via Getty Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan U.S. President Donald Trump gives a thumbs up while listening to Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu address a joint news conference to discuss a new Middle East peace plan proposal in the East Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., January 28, 2020. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid BRENDAN MCDERMID Reuters Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan epa08172847 Palestinians chant slogans during a protest against the so-called 'Deal of the Century', planned by Trump to solve the conflict between Palestinians and Israel, in the streets of Gaza City, Gaza Strip, 28 January 2020. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER MOHAMMED SABER EPA Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan epa08172814 A Palestinian holds a banner reading in Arabic 'down with the deal of century' as people protest against the deal planned by Trump to solve the conflict between Palestinians and Israel, in the streets of Gaza City, Gaza Strip, 28 January 2020. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER MOHAMMED SABER EPA Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan Palestinian protesters burn pictures of US President Donald Trump during a demonstration in the West Bank city of Ramallah on January 28, 2020, against the expected peace plan proposal. - Palestinians staged protests against US President Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan, hours before it was to be unveiled in Washington. Thousands demonstrated in Gaza, burning pictures of Trump and the American flag, while further rallies were planned for the coming days. (Photo by Ahmad GHARABLI / AFP) (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images) AHMAD GHARABLI AFP via Getty Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan Palestinian protesters wave the national flag during a demonstration in the West Bank city of Ramallah on January 28, 2020, against US President Donald Trump's expected peace plan proposal. - Palestinians staged protests against US President Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan, hours before it was to be unveiled in Washington. Thousands demonstrated in Gaza, burning pictures of Trump and the American flag, while further rallies were planned for the coming days. (Photo by Ahmad GHARABLI / AFP) (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images) AHMAD GHARABLI AFP via Getty Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan epa08172866 Palestinians set fire during a protest against the so-called 'Deal of the Century', planned by Trump to solve the conflict between Palestinians and Israel, in the streets of Gaza City, Gaza Strip, 28 January 2020. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER MOHAMMED SABER EPA Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan epa08172871 Palestinians chant slogans during a protest against the so-called 'Deal of the Century', planned by Trump to solve the conflict between Palestinians and Israel, in the streets of Gaza City, Gaza Strip, 28 January 2020. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER MOHAMMED SABER EPA Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan epa08172842 Palestinians protesters burn a poster depicting US President Donald Trump during a protest against the so-called 'Deal of the Century', planned by Trump to solve the conflict between Palestinians and Israel, in the streets of Gaza City, Gaza Strip, 28 January 2020. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER MOHAMMED SABER EPA Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan Palestinian demonstrators chant slogans as they stand by flaming tyres during a protest against US President Donald Trump's expected peace plan proposal in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip . - Palestinians staged protests against US President Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan, hours before it was to be unveiled in Washington. Thousands demonstrated in Gaza, burning pictures of Trump and the American flag, while further rallies were planned for the coming days. (Photo by SAID KHATIB / AFP) (Photo by SAID KHATIB/AFP via Getty Images) SAID KHATIB AFP via Getty Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan Palestinian protesters wave the national flag and a portrait of president Mahmud Abbas during a demonstration in the West Bank city of Ramallah on January 28, 2020, against US President Donald Trump's expected peace plan proposal. - Palestinians staged protests against US President Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan, hours before it was to be unveiled in Washington. Thousands demonstrated in Gaza, burning pictures of Trump and the American flag, while further rallies were planned for the coming days. (Photo by Ahmad GHARABLI / AFP) (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images) AHMAD GHARABLI AFP via Getty Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan Palestinians chant slogans as they demonstrate outside the local government headquarters in Tulkarmm, west of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, on January 28, 2020 against US President Donald Trump's expected peace plan proposal. (Photo by Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP) (Photo by JAAFAR ASHTIYEH/AFP via Getty Images) JAAFAR ASHTIYEH AFP via Getty Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan Palestinian protesters chant angry slogans during a protest against the U.S. Mideast peace plan, in Gaza City, Monday, Jan. 28, 2020. U.S. President Donald Trump is set to unveil his administration's much-anticipated Mideast peace plan in the latest U.S. venture to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra) Khalil Hamra AP

The Israeli settlements built in the West Bank have been largely condemned by the international community – and by Palestinians – as illegal. Mr O’Brien’s statements seem to paint the expansion of Israeli expansion into Palestinian territory as inevitable, which is in line with Mr Trump’s overwhelming support of Israel in matters of diplomacy.

In 2017, Mr Trump recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel – a move that put him at odds with the majority of world leaders – and opened an embassy in the city the following year.

Mr O’Brien’s argument that Israelis will inevitably overwhelm the Palestinians through reproduction and immigration also didn’t account for Palestinian birth rates exceeding that of Israel’s. The Associated Press reported the Palestinian population has been growing 33 percent faster than that of Israel.

The language of ultimatum given by Mr O’Brien – “this could be the last opportunity” – echoes that of the architect of Mr Trump’s Middle East peace plan, his son-in-law Jared Kushner.

In an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Mr Kushner suggested if the Palestinians didn’t accept the offer they would be “screwing up” and would lose the sympathy of the global community.

“The Palestinian leadership have to ask themselves a question: Do they want to have a state? Do they want to have a better life? If they do, we have created a framework for them to have it, and we’re going to treat them in a very respectful manner,” Mr Kushner told Ms Amanpour. “If they don’t, then they’re going to screw up another opportunity like they’ve screwed up every other opportunity that they’ve ever had in their existence.”

Mr Kushner defended the plan by citing his own “expertise” on the region, claiming he’d read 25 books and had been studying the 72-year-old conflict for three years.

Mr Trump’s plan includes the eventual creation of a Palestinian state, but does so by forcing Palestinians to give up the West Bank land already occupied by Israeli settlers and to cede the agriculturally significant Jordan Valley – home to 65,000 Palestinians – to Israel.

Palestinian leaders have been quick to voice their opposition to the plan, which Mr Trump touted as the “Deal of the Century.”

“After the nonsense that we heard today we say a thousand ‘no’s’ to the Deal of the The Century,” Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas said.