
Donald Trump on Monday became the first sitting U.S. president to visit the Western Wall – the holiest site where Jews can pray – and left a prayer note there in accordance with Jewish custom.

He made the highly symbolic visit to a site which symbolizes the Middle East's tinderbox nature before saying he believed in the possibility of a peace deal and saying that the danger of Iran meant there was 'a lot of love out there' for Israel from unlikely Muslim countries.

Located in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, the Western Wall is a section of one of four original retaining walls King Herod built in the first century B.C. to support the Temple Mount.

It is also the only remaining portion of the Second Jewish Temple, which stood in Jerusalem until the Romans destroyed it in 70 A.D. as they put down a Jewish revolt.

It has been U.S. policy for the last 50 years to not recognize East Jerusalem as part of Israel, making a visit to the wall a political minefield.

But Trump, clad in a navy suit, red striped tie and black kippah, strode into the Western Wall Prayer Plaza in Jerusalem's Old City on Monday before placing his hand on the stone wall and praying for 30 seconds, slipping a note inside a crack between the stones.

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Donald Trump on Monday became the first sitting U.S. president to visit the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest place of prayer

Trump heard a lesson about the site's significance from Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz (center right) and Mordechai Elias (center left), who leads the Western Wall Heritage Foundation

Shmuel Rabinovich, the Rabbi of the Western Wall, led the president and his son-in-law Jared Kushner through a brief lesson about the location's significance while first lady Melania Trump and daughter Ivanka Trump looked on.

Jared later followed his father-in-law to the wall while the Rabbi's wife accompanied Ivanka and Melania to the 'women's prayer section' nearby, in keeping with the gender-segregated Orthodox custom.

Ivanka closed her eyes and said her own prayer. The first lady placed her hand on the wall and slipped a note between the stones. She converted to Judaism to marry Kushner, an Orthodox Jew, and the couple received rabbinical dispensation to allow them to fly to the Middle East and travel on the Sabbath.

Kushner prayed alongside White House chief economic adviser Gary Cohn, National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Afterward, President Trump stood in the plaza and read a section of Psalms with the rabbi, joined by Mordechai Elias, the director general of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation.

Melania Trump offered her own prayer at the sex-segregated 'women's section' of the wall; like her husband, the first lady slipped a prayer note between the stones

Ivanka Trump wrote on Twitter: 'It was deeply meaningful to visit the holiest site of my faith and to leave a note of prayer'

Ivanka Trump, who converted to Orthodox Judaism before marrying Jared Kushner, stood in prayer after the president was done

The White House has not yet said what the president or first lady wrote on the prayer notes they left at the Western Wall

After the visit, President Trump read a section of Psalms with the rabbi, joined by Mordechai Elias, the director general of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation

The women as they left the Western Wall after their visit. The wall is known as Judaism's holiest prayer site

President Trump left a note at the Western Wall in accordance with Jewish custom. Press secretary Sean Spicer told a pool reporter that he would find out what the note said

The day before her trip to the Western Wall, Ivanka Trump met with Saudi Arabian women to talk about their vision for the future

Trump is in the midst of a nine-day trip, the first international journey of his presidency, visiting places that are significant to Muslims, Jews and Christians

HOLIEST SITE IS SYMBOL OF RELIGIOUS DIVIDE The Western Wall, also known as the Wailing Wall, is considered the holiest site where Jews can pray. The limestone structure located in Jerusalem, is the only remaining portion of the Second Jewish Temple which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. during the first Jewish-Roman War. The wall was erected in 19 B.C. by King Herod who built it to support the Temple Mount - a hill which is considered the 'holiest site' in Judaism - but also a significant religious site for Christians and Muslims. It has also been a disputed site between the Jewish and Muslim community since the early 20th century. Palestinians believe the 'wall' is only the 191 ft structure which faces the Jewish prayer site. However, Israelis argue it includes the entire retaining wall of the Temple Mount, which stretches 1591 ft. Jews are known to exclusively use the term 'Western Wall' in reference to the holy site, while Christians and Muslims also refer to it as the 'Wailing Wall'. The 'Wailing-place' was a translation of El-Mabka, or 'the Place of Weeping,' the traditional Arabic term. The term has since become derogatory to Jews after it was introduced by the British after they took control of Jerusalem from the Ottoman Empire in 1917. The name refers to the practice of Jews weeping at the site over the destruction of the Temples. Advertisement

Amid tight security, Mr Trump was not accompanied by Israeli leaders and went alone to the wall.

It followed a clash between the US and the government of Benjamin Netanyahu over the status of Jerusalem after the White House refused to say whether it considered the wall to be part of Israel.

Yesterday US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said: ‘The wall is part of Jerusalem’. He did not elaborate on the delicate question on whether the Trump administration would change US policy over the status of Jerusalem, which both Israelis and Palestinians want to claim as their capital.

Barack Obama visited the Western Wall in 2008, when he was a presidential candidate.

The note he left behind was stolen and later published.

'Lord,' it read, 'protect my family and me. Forgive me my sins, and help me guard against pride and despair. Give me the wisdom to do what is right and just. And make me an instrument of your will.'

The White House has not said what Trump wrote on his own prayer note, but press secretary Sean Spicer told a pool reporter that he would find out.

Jewish Israelis see the entirety of Jerusalem as their 3,000-year-old capital. Old Testament scripture teaches that King David made Jerusalem the capital of a unified kingdom of Israel about 1,000 years before the birth of Christ.

But Palestinians, who are about one-third of modern Jerusalem's residents, claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a yet-to-be-recognized Palestinian nation.

Barack Obama visited the Western Wall in 2008, when he was a presidential candidate, guided by the same Rabbi who helped Trump; the note Obama left behind was stolen and published

Jared Kushner (right) prayed alongside Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (left) at the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old city

White House staff and officials prayed at the wall on the historic trip. The president will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday

President Trump prayed at the wall for approximately 30 seconds before leaving his note of prayer

It has been U.S. policy for the last 50 years to not recognize East Jerusalem as part of Israel, making a visit to the wall a political minefield, but Trump took the risk

The White House said last week that Trump would go to the Western Wall without any Israeli politicians in tow. Netanyahu had asked to join the visit

The president will meet with Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday morning and will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday evening

East Jerusalem is also home to al-Aqsa mosque, which is Islam's third-holiest site. The other two, the mosques in Mecca and Medina, are both part of modern-day Saudi Arabia.

According to the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, Muslims refer to the Western Wall as the 'Buraq Wall' because they believe the Prophet Muhammed tied his winged horse, named 'Buraq,' to the wall during the Prophet's Night of Ascension.

Trump's visit to Israel and the West Bank is meant as a peace overture, and the White House has been careful not to appear partisan in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The president is meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday evening, and with Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday morning.

The White House said last week that Trump would go to the Western Wall without any Israeli politicians in tow. Netanyahu had asked to join the visit.

Earlier Monday, Ivanka Trump expressed her excitement about visiting Israel following what she called an 'amazing and historic' trip to Saudi Arabia

For the last 50 years it had been US policy to not recognize East Jerusalem as part of Israel. Rex Tillerson told reporters 'The wall is part of Jerusalem' when asked if he agreed with United Nations Nikki Haley who said it was part of Israel

From left to right: Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster and chief economic advisor Gary Cohn leave notes at the Western Wall

President Trump talks with Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz at the Western Wall Monday afternoon

The White House has been careful not to appear partisan in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Trump said Monday evening in Jerusalem that that he sees 'a lot of love' for Israel among Arab nations that have typically been standoffish at best in their attitudes toward the Jewish state.

The president has spent the day parlaying a weekend full of meetings in Saudi Arabia into a rationale for a new Middle East peace framework – one that uses the region's pervasive fear and hatred of Iran as the basis of what he called 'a new level of partnership.'

'We're going to have very productive discussions, in my opinion, with the leaders of other nations,' Trump said at the famed King David hotel, referring to Muslim countries. 'And I feel strongly about that, because there's a lot of love out there.'

'People from all nations – even nations you would be surprised to hear – they want to stop the killing. They've had enough.'

A LOT OF LOVE: Donald Trump said Monday that Iran's belligerence and nuclear ambitions have created a chance for a common purpose among Arabs and Jews, laying the groundwork for a new Middle East peace framework

Trump did not mention the names of specific potential partners other than Saudi Arabia, whose King Salman played host to him for two days before his arrival Monday morning in Tel Aviv.

The president stood alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and delivered brief remarks between a bilateral meeting and a private double-date dinner with their wives.

Trump said leaders of Gulf states and other Muslim-majority countries who spoke with him in Riyadh share Israel's goal of stabilizing the Middle East and are willing to work in tandem with Israel on a set of related objectives.

He mentioned 'defeating the evils of terrorism, and facing the threat of an Iranian regime that is threatening the region and causing so much violence and suffering.'

'These leaders voice concerns we all share,' Trump insisted, 'about ISIS, about Iran's rising ambitions and rolling back its gains, and about the menace of extremism that has spread through too many parts of the Muslim world.'

Netanyahu praised Trump's change in direction from the Obama administration's negotiating posture with Tehran.

'I want you to know how much we appreciate the change in American policy on Iran,' he said.

'I believe that together we could roll back Iran's march of aggression and terror in this region, and we can thwart Iran's unbridled ambition to become a nuclear weapons state.'

Netanyahu said he agrees that strange bedfellows in the Islamic world could unite with Jews to keep Iran in check

'Common dangers are turning former enemies into partners, and that's where we see something new and potentially something very promising,' he explained.

'The Arab leaders who you met yesterday could help change the atmosphere, and they could help create the conditions for a realistic peace.'

Trump also connected his new paradigm to the persistent problem of animosities between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, saying he is counting on a 'renewed effort' to emerge from his visits to Jerusalem and the West Bank.

'It's not easy,' he said. 'I've heard it's one of the toughest deals of all.'

'But I have a feeling we're going to get there eventually. I hope.'

Trump will leave Israel late tomorrow for Rome, where he will have an audience with Pope Francis.

But first he will face a different kind of Middle East negotiating test: a sit-down meeting with Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas. Both Abbas and Netanyahu have visited the White House this year.

RED FACES ON THE RED CARPET AS ISRAELI POLITICIAN SNAPS A SELFIE WITH TRUMP

This is the awkward moment Israel's prime minister tried to stop one of his politicians from taking a selfie with US President Donald Trump.

Trump was being escorted down the red carpet at Ben-Gurion International Airport by Benjamin Netanyahu when one of his team seized the opportunity for a once-in-a-lifetime snap.

Lawmaker Oren Hazan, a politician with a reputation for inappropriate antics, whipped out his mobile phone for a picture with the US president who is on a two-day tour of Israeli and Palestinian territories.

An irate Netanyahu was filmed trying to grab his arm but Hazan, who was not even invited to the lavish welcome ceremony, had already taken the photo.

Benjamin Netanyahu tried to swat away lawmaker Oren Hazan (right) who whipped out his mobile phone for a picture with the US president at Ben-Gurion airport

One Israeli TV commentator branded Hazan a 'disgrace' while the Jerusalem Post declared it a 'national embarrassment'.

Mr Hazan still posted the photo on his Facebook account with the caption: 'Thank you, Mr President - it was my pleasure!'

The bizarre incident came as Netanyahu declared his country's relationship with the US was stronger than ever as Donald Trump touched down in Tel Aviv.

Tweeting from his official account, the Israeli leader wrote 'ever stronger' next to a photo of himself, Trump, Melania Trump and his wife Sara all shaking hands.

Trump had earlier hailed the two countries' 'unbreakable bond' and vowed to secure the 'ultimate' Middle East peace deal.

The trip to Israel has so far unfolded without a hitch, despite an incident prior to Trump's arrival in which a motorist mowed down five people in Tel Aviv.

The bizarre incident came as Netanyahu declared his country's relationship with the US was stronger than ever

President Trump (pictured alighting Air Force One with Melania) arrived in Israel to much pomp and fanfare on his two-day visit to Israeli and Palestinian territories

Trump (pictured at Ben-Gurion airport today) had earlier hailed the two countries' 'unbreakable bond' and vowed to secure the 'ultimate' Middle East peace deal

Dignitaries and Israeli officials lined the red carpet for President Trump's much anticipated arrival

Trump had asked Netanyahu whether he was allowed to pose for photos as they strolled past dignitaries and politicians, to which the prime minister threw up his hands and replied: 'Who knows?'

Trump promised to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem while campaigning for president last year.

Since taking office he's backed away from that promise, saying the issue needs more study. His response to Bennett was a curt 'that's a good one.'

Israel captured east Jerusalem 50 years ago and claims the area - home to sensitive Jewish, Christian and Muslim holy sites - as part of its capital.

The Palestinians also claim east Jerusalem as their capital and previous U.S. administrations have said the area's fate must be decided through negotiations.

Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan informed Trump of a possible attack in Tel Aviv that transpired while the president was airborne. A car crashed into a crowd of pedestrians, injuring three people.

Trump (pictured with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin) had earlier asked Netanyahu whether he was allowed to pose for photos as they strolled past dignitaries and politicians, to which the prime minister threw up his hands and replied: 'Who knows?'

Trump promised to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem while campaigning for president last year

'You know that it's possible that today it was also a terror attack. We're still investigating a ramming in Tel Aviv,' Erdan said, even though police had already said the incident was a car accident.

Before boarding the Marine One helicopter for Jerusalem, the premier's wife, Sara Netanyahu, told first lady Melania Trump that they had a lot in common with the Trumps.

'The majority of people in Israel, unlike the media, they love us, so we tell them how you are great, and they love you,' Mrs. Netanyahu said.