Trump ´may´ visit Jerusalem to open new US embassy

WASHINGTON: Donald Trump floated a fraught trip to open the new American embassy in Jerusalem, as the US president hosted Israel´s equally embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House Monday.

The two leaders -- both under career-threatening legal investigations -- tried to cast their domestic problems aside, putting on a show of bonhomie and mutual appreciation in sunny Washington.

In the Oval Office, Netanyahu waxed lyrical, painting Trump as the heir to a pantheon of historical figures, and hailed the president´s "bold" decision to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to the disputed city of Jerusalem.

Netanyahu likened the US leader to the ancient Persian king Cyrus the Great, who freed the Jews from captivity in Babylon; to Lord Balfour, who a century ago affirmed the rights of the Jewish people in Palestine; and president Harry Truman, who recognized the Jewish state.

"I want to thank you for your extraordinary friendship," said the Israeli premier.

The 71-year-old president responded with some lyrical waxing of his own, saying he would consider a trip to open the controversial embassy this May, when Israel celebrates 70 years since its declaration of independence.

"We´re looking at coming. If I can, I will," Trump said. "I may. We will be talking about that and other things.

"Israel is very special to me. Special country, special people, and I look forward to being there, and I´m very proud of that decision," he added.

The trip would be political catnip for Trump and Netanyahu, appealing to supporters who see good US-Israel ties as a strategic and even religious imperative.

But the trip would also be a major security and diplomatic challenge, one that risks further infuriating Arab allies and scuttling US claims to be an independent broker for peace.

Both Israel and the Palestinians claim Jerusalem as their capital.