It’s official! US President Donald Trump will arrive in Israel on May 22, here are some details of his visit.
Trump will travel first to Saudi Arabia and then continue to Israel. In Israel he will meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin. It‘s possible that he will visit Yad Vashem and he might visit the Western Wall and perhaps even speak at Masada.
His wife Melania and his daughter Ivanka and his son-in-law Jared Kushner are coming with him. An entourage of some 1,000 people, including Secretary of Defense James Matisse and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson are also accompanying him.
According to plans, Trump will come to dinner at the prime minister's residence in Jerusalem. It’s not yet clear whether he will stay in the presidential suite of the King David Hotel or in the presidential suite of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. The following day he will meet with Abu Mazen in Bethlehem.
After Israel, Trump will visit the Pope in the Vatican. This way in one trip Trump gets to visit countries identified with the three dominant religions in the world.
Politically speaking, Trump's goal is to promote negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, and he may announce United States recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. He will also announce his support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. It is not likely that he will announce the transfer of the US Embassy to Jerusalem at this stage.