Trump to give speech on Islam in Saudi Arabia

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump will give a major speech on the Islamic faith during his upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia, home to the religion’s holiest shrines, the White House said on Tuesday.

“He will meet and have lunch with leaders of more than 50 Muslim countries, where he will deliver an inspiring, direct speech on the need to confront radical ideology and the president’s hopes for a peaceful vision of Islam,” National Security Adviser HR McMaster told reporters.

US President will meet Palestinian officials in the West Bank town of Bethlehem next week, after talks with Israeli leaders in Jerusalem, McMaster said. McMaster told reporters that, while in the Palestinian territories, Trump “will convey the eagerness to facilitate an agreement that ends the conflict and he will urge leaders to take steps that will help lead to peace.”

However, a row erupted Tuesday over US policy toward Israel days ahead of a visit by President Donald Trump, with fresh questions raised over the White House’s approach to the ultra-sensitive status of Jerusalem. Debate over whether the United States should move its Israel embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem again flared, while a separate row over the city’s Western Wall — the holiest site where Jews can pray — also caused waves.

Both issues provoked criticism of Trump’s White House in Israel as preparations intensified for his visit to the country and the Palestinian territories on May 22 and 23.