Donald Trump visits Israel as he continues Middle East trip
Donald Trump has arrived in Israel, the second destination on his five-stop Middle East trip.
The US president land at Ben-Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, where he was greeted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and members of the Israeli cabinet.
Mr Netanyahu reportedly had to order ministers to attend the welcome ceremony at the airport, according to Israel's Haaretz newspaper, after he discovered a number were planning to skip the event.
Nonetheless, the arrival began with a lighthearted moment. As Mr Trump shook hands with Mr Netanyahu he asked, "What is the protocol?"
Throwing up his hands, Netanyahu replied: "Who knows?"
Later, in his formal welcome to the US president, Mr Netanyah said he hoped Mr Trump's visit would be a "historic milestone" in achieving regional peace.
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While Mr Trump has said previously that finding a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is "maybe not as difficult as people have thought", few expect a breakthrough with this visit.
Indeed White House aides have tried to play down expectations, casting the trip as more symbolic than substantive.
The US president is expected to visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Western Wall, an important Jewish holy site, as part of his trip.
He will also meet Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem on Tuesday.
Mr Trump arrives in Israel from a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, where he called upon Middle Eastern leaders to combat a "crisis of Islamic extremism" originating from the region.
He also praised the Muslim world's history and culture, and declared Islam "one of the world's great faiths".
That has been seen as something of a reset with the region following his presidential campaign, which was frequently punctured by bouts of anti-Islamic rhetoric.
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