May 23, 2017

*-- Trump arrives in Israel, says 'great opportunity' for peace --*

Speaking from Jerusalem, U.S. President Donald Trump said Israel has a "great opportunity" for peace in the Middle East because "people have just had enough ... of the bloodshed and the killing."

Trump on Monday arrived in Israel, where he will meet with Israeli leaders and participate in traditional ceremonies. After Air Force One landed in Tel Aviv, the Israeli capital, Trump boarded Marine One, the presidential helicopter, to travel to Jerusalem.

While speaking alongside Israeli President Reuven Rivlin before closed-door talks, Trump said he was "treated incredibly well" in Saudi Arabia, where the U.S. president visited in the first leg of his first foreign trip as U.S. president.

While in Jerusalem, Trump said he noticed a "tremendous, well, really good feeling toward Israel" when he visited the kingdom.

"I will say one of the things I think you can call call an outreach, but what's happened with Iran has brought many other parts of the Middle East toward Israel and you could say that's one of the -- if there's a benefit, that would be the benefit because I've seen such a different feeling toward Israel from countries that as you know were not feeling so well about Israel not so long ago, and its brought a lot of folks together ... that is a real positive. We're real happy about that," Trump said.

"Every challenge creates opportunities," Rivlin said in response to Trump's comment.

"You have a great opportunity right now," Trump added. "There's a great feeling for peace throughout the Middle East. I think people have just had enough. They've had enough of the bloodshed and the killing, and I think you're going to see things starting to happen."

Following a meeting with Rivlin, Trump will later lay a wreath at the Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Center before speaking at the Israel Museum. Trump will also later meet with Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu and hold a press conference before a private dinner.

On Tuesday, Trump is scheduled to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem and discuss Middle East peace. On Wednesday, Trump will visit Pope Francis at the Vatican before meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella. On Thursday, Trump will meet with Belgium's King Philippe, Prime Minister Charles Michel and other officials prior to visiting the European Union headquarters.

Trump also plans to have a working lunch with recently elected French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday, and later meet with NATO leaders, accompanied by U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis.

Trump will stay in Sicily for the final two days of his trip for the G7 summit, where he will speak to U.S. and NATO allied servicemembers and their families.