Smiling by Mr. Trump’s side, Mr. Netanyahu, who has steadily undermined the prospect of a Palestinian state, clearly believed his vision was the one the new American president had in mind. Mr. Trump voiced optimism about getting a “great peace deal” between Israel and its neighbors. The two-state solution began to take shape after the 1993 Oslo accords and was endorsed by President Bill Clinton in 2001. This has led to increased talk among Israelis of the “one-state solution,” in which Israel subsumes the West Bank formally while incorporating the Palestinian population or somehow shifting the Palestinians to Jordan and Egypt. Given what Mr. Trump said on Wednesday, there is less reason than ever to believe that he can succeed where so many other presidents have failed.

Source: New York Times February 16, 2017 02:02 UTC