Palestine’s top diplomat slams Trump's Mideast policies

JERUSALEM

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki on Thursday accused the U.S. administration of "waging a war against the people of Palestine".

Al-Maliki, who is currently in New York to attend the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly along with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, made several remarks regarding U.S. President Donald Trump's recent statements on the Palestine-Israel conflict.

Asserting that Trump's statements on a two-state solution had failed to meet Palestinian expectations, the FM said: "If President Trump wants us to believe that he really wants peace in the region, he must voice his support for a two-state solution based on 1967 borders and admit that East Jerusalem and the West Bank are occupied territories."

Al-Maliki slammed the Trump administration’s policies vis-à-vis Palestine, saying: "This administration is waging a war against the people of Palestine."

On Wednesday, Trump -- following a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu -- said: "I think the two-state solution will work best."

At a press conference, the U.S. president said he believed that both Israelis and Palestinians would accept a two-state solution.

"If the Israelis and the Palestinians want one state, that's okay with me. If they want two states, that's okay with me. I'm happy if they're happy," Trump said.

Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Middle East conflict, with Palestinians hoping that East Jerusalem -- occupied by Israel since 1967 -- might eventually serve as the capital of an independent Palestinian state.

Late last year, however, Trump officially recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Since then, the Palestinians have rejected any U.S. role in Middle East peacemaking.

*Ali Murat Alhas contributed to this report from Ankara