By JPost—
US President Donald Trump arrived in Israel shortly after noon on Monday for a historic visit in the second leg of his whirlwind maiden foreign tour as president. Trump spent the afternoon in Jerusalem, meeting with Israel’s President and Prime Minister and seeing some of the sights of the Old City. Below you will find a minute-by-minute review of the breaking developments, the moving moments and the offbeat incidents that made it a day to remember.
Trump Calls for a renewed effort to bring about peace between the Israeli and Palestinians and says he sees real opportunity that didn’t exist before.
Trump says he sees hopeful signs of achieving peace “for the people of this region.”
Netanyahu says he looks forward to working with Trump on the advancement of peace. He says he sees promise in the willingness of Arab states to bring about change. “They can help bring about the conditions of a historic peace,” said Netanyahu.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterates Israel’s commitment to protecting religious rights. Netanyahu expressed his thanks to Trump for visiting the Western Wall.
The two leaders take to the stage to deliver their addresses.
Prime Minister Netanyahu and his wife Sara welcome President Trump and First Lady Melania to their “palace.”
Netanyahu says they had the house painted especially for the presidential visit. Netanyahu gifts the Trump’s a 150-year-old bottle of wine. The Presidential couple are also introduced to Yair Netanyahu, the prime minister’s son.
President Trump arrives at prime minister’s residence for statements and dinner.
Media on edge as press statements at Prime Minister’s residence are running late
The presidential motorcade is on its way from the King David Hotel to the Prime Minister’s Residence in Jerusalem.
Money Time in Jeruslaem
After meeting in private for nearly an hour, US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have been joined in the room by their senior advisers, including US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Special Envoy Jason Greenblatt, US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman and Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner.
IDF spokesperson’s office confirms that an Israeli drone has fallen in Lebanese territory, but says it was not shot down.
INITIAL REPORT: Arab media is reporting that an Israeli drone has fallen over Lebanese territory and that its debris was collected by the Lebanese military for inspection. According to the report, the drone was an Israeli skylark.
Presidential Feast: Whats on the menu for the Trumps and Netanyahus tonight?
Referencing the alleged intelligence leak, in which the US president is accused of revealing classified intelligence from an Israeli source to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov last week, Trump assures reporters that he “never mentioned the word Israel.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with US President Donald Trump in Jerusalem.
The two exchange pleasantries in front of the cameras, ahead of dinner and discussed Trump’s progress on countering Iran during his visit over the weekend in Saudi Arabia. “Iran will never have nuclear weapons, that I can tell you,” Trump said in the meeting.
First ladies tour Jerusalem Medical facility.
US First Lady Melania Trump and Sara Netanyahu toured Hadassah University Medical Center in Jerusalem on Monday afternoon.
The wives of the US president and the Israeli prime minister were received by Hadassah Women’s Zionist Organization of America national president Ellen Hershkin and Hadassah Medical Organization director-general Prof. Zeev Rotstein.
Palestinians are not impressed with Israel’s good will gestures timed for Trump’s visit.
Overheard on the red carpet: President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and their wives immediately bonded on Monday over their disdain of the media. Standing on the tarmac at Ben-Gurion Airport shortly after the Trumps’ arrival in Israel from Saudi Arabia, the foursome were making small talk as a microphone picked up their banter. The majority of people in Israel love us, unlike the media, Sara Netanyahu told the visiting couple. “So we tell them how you are great, and they love you,” she said. The president responded: “We have something very much in common.”
Netanyahu added that it sounded familiar, before his wife said: “Very much in common, we will talk about it at dinner… the same media.”
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