ISRAEL: Trump Arrives In Israel

In a visit fraught with symbolism, President Trump on Monday became the first sitting U.S. president to set foot in the Old City of Jerusalem.

The president and first lady Melania Trump visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, traditional site of Jesus' crucifixion, burial and resurrection, and the Western Wall, part of the Jewish temple complex destroyed by Rome in 70 C.E.

The walled Old City lies in East Jerusalem, which was captured by Israel from Jordan in the Six-Day War 50 years ago. Israel's subsequent annexation of East Jerusalem is not recognized internationally.

The White House said the visit was unofficial and private. The U.S. considers the status of Jerusalem unresolved and subject to negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not accompany the president to the Old City.

Nonetheless, Trump's visit and particularly his brief stop at the Western Wall, Judaism's most revered religious site carried profound significance.

Trump said in joint remarks with Netanyahu later Monday that he was "deeply moved" by the experience. It will leave an impression on me forever.

Netanyahu said the Israeli people "applaud" the U.S. president for making the trip.

According to the White House, the visit affirmed the theme of Trump's first overseas trip, promoting unity and peace among the three Abrahamic faiths.

The president stopped first in Saudi Arabia, home of Islam's most sacred sites. Wednesday he is scheduled to visit Pope Francis in Vatican City.

But when it comes to the Western Wall, real estate plays as large a role as religious faith.

Israelis celebrate the "reunification" of Jerusalem in 1967 as a national holiday. Its 50th anniversary, according to the Jewish calendar, begins on Tuesday night, just hours after Trump leaves Israel.

The Wall sits at the base of a plateau which Jews call the Temple Mount and Muslims call the Noble Sanctuary. Since the 7th century C.E. it has been the site of Islam's Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Trump did not visit the Muslim sites above the Western Wall.

Trump's daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner, who are observant Jews, joined the president and his wife. The chief rabbi of the Western Wall, Shmuel Rabinovich and his wife Yael, greeted them.

In accordance with traditional Jewish religious practice in which men and women sit separately during prayer — Trump's wife and daughter went to the women's section with the rabbi's wife.

On the men's side, Trump approached the Wall alone, rested the palm of his hand on it and stood silently for about 15 seconds. He placed a note between the massive stones, a centuries-old tradition of supplication.

Israeli security closed off much of the normally bustling Old City in advance of Trump's visit. A large temporary security screen blocked views of the Western Wall.

Many Israelis remarked that the president's visit implicitly affirmed Israel's claim to the site, though Trump has made no public statement to that effect.

In their press conference, Trump and Netanyahu reiterated their plans to work together. We understand each other, Netanyahu said, thanking Trump for the change in American policy on Iran and the reassertion of American leadership in the Middle East.

Referencing his earlier visit to Saudi Arabia, Trump said he believed a new level of partnership is possible in the Middle East.

This includes a renewed effort at peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians. I've heard it's one of the toughest deals of all, but I have a feeling that we're going to get there eventually, he said. I hope.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will donate a combined $100 million to a World Bank fund for women entrepreneurs that was the brainchild of Ivanka Trump.

The announcement by World Bank President Jim Young Kim came during a visit to Saudi Arabia by President Trump, who was accompanied by his wife, Melania, daughter Ivanka and son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

We thought it was a fantastic idea, Kim said. But we had no idea how quickly this would build. This is really a stunning achievement. I've never seen anything come together so quickly, and I really have to say that Ivanka's leadership has been tremendous.

The money will help kick off a $1 billion women's empowerment fund that the World Bank will announce in July, he said.

The UAE's U.S. ambassador, Yousef Al Otaiba, said in a statement that the promised donation reflects our commitment to empowering women in our region and builds on the progress we have made in our country, where women play a role in every segment of society.

The donation raised some eyebrows, since candidate Trump regularly excoriated the Clinton Foundation for accepting donations from repressive Middle East regimes such as Saudi Arabia.

Facebook posting in which Trump said, Saudi Arabia and many of the countries that gave vast amounts of money to the Clinton Foundation want women as slaves and to kill gays. Hillary must return all money from such countries!

During an October debate, Trump also told Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, Saudi Arabia giving $25 million, Qatar, all of these countries.

You talk about women and women's rights? So these are people that push gays off business off buildings. These are people that kill women and treat women horribly. And yet you take their money.

The World Bank fund, which provides technical help and investment funding for women business owners, differs from the Clinton Foundation in some significant ways.

While Ivanka Trump proposed the idea along with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, she is not involved with its operation.

Norm Eisen, former ethics official for the Obama Administration and a regular critic of the Trump family's conflicts of interest, noted in an email to NPR, In my view foreign government donations to a fund run by a reputable international organization like the World Bank for a good cause are generally acceptable.

But Eisen said the donations need to be strictly vetted and must be transparent.

Based on what we know, there's no reason to believe that those two things did not happen. That said, the hypocrisy is concerning, and the general miasma of corruption that surrounds all things Trump suggests some extra scrutiny here, he added.

I don't see this fund as a big problem if she does not solicit donations and it is entirely World Bank run, said Richard Painter, former ethics adviser to the George W. Bush administration.

But the Saudis could try letting women drive cars too. That would be good for entrepreneurship, he said.

Earlier in the day, Ivanka Trump met with a group of elite Saudi women at Tuwaiq Palace in Riyadh, where she largely avoided sharp criticism of the country's treatment of women.

There's still a lot of work to be done to empower women in both Saudi Arabia and the United States, she said.

ISRAEL: Donald Trump Jets To Israel

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. Israel rolled out the red carpet for Trump at Ben-Gurion Airport, where the president is due to touch down on Air Force One after two days in Saudi Arabia.

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.

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.

Whats on the menu for the Trumps and Netanyahus tonight?

Segev Moshe says there will be lots of "gold" touches at dinner tonight, but not a drop of alcohol.

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.

Trump on Iran deal: "We gave them wealth and prosperity and we also gave them an ability to continue with terror."

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.

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."

While The president and his entourage are resting at the King David Hotel. Now's the time to discuss Ivanka's fashion choices.

On this day of firsts, it wasn't the statements or the speeches that made top headlines; it was the antics of a single Likud MK who stole the show with a display of chutzpah on the red carpet.

US President Donald Trump and his entourage have departed from the Western Wall and are on their way to the King David Hotel, Jerusalem.

The President of the US, Donald Trump prays at the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest site. This is the first time a sitting American President has done so.

US President Donald Trump is walking into the Western Wall Prayer Plaza in Jerusalem's Old City.

While at a visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, US president Donald Trump retweeted a post by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

An attempted stabbing attack took place in Abu Dis in east Jerusalem Monday afternoon, according to Channel 2. The attempted stabbing was thwarted after the attacker was "neutralized" by authorities.

According to former CIA and NSA Director Michael Hayden the classified intelligence information which US President Donald Trump recently leaked to Russia may have come from two countries the countries are Israel and Jordan.

US President Trump arrives at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where he is holding a private prayer before heading to the Western Wall. The president's tour to the holy sites created controversy in the lead up to the visit. You can read all about it in this story by Seth Frantzman

President Trump departs from the President's Residence en route to Jerusalem's Old City, first to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and then to the Western Wall.

US President Donald Trump puts Iran in the spotlight in Jerusalem address.
"Iran must never be allowed to possess nuclear weapon, never ever"

Trump talks about prospects of peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
US President Donald Trump: There is a growing realization among Arab neighbors that they have common cause with you."

Trump Calls Israel an "amazing country" in address after meeting with President Rivlin.
Trump speaks out against terrorist groups and Iran; "Together we can work to end the scourge of violence that has taken so many lives here in Israel and around the world."

President Rivlin and Trump Deliver statements after one-on-one meeting.

Rivlin begins by thanking Trump for his visit "Mr. President, we are happy to see that America is back in the area. America is back again."

He goes on to speak about the hope for peace: "I welcome your willingness to help us move forward. We want to move forward, and we must do it, together."

Trump talks peace at the President's Residence.

"Enough of the bloodshed and killing," US President Donald Trump said during the event at President Reuven Rivlin's official residence in Jerusalem.

He suggested that reigniting the peace process would be at the top of the trip's agenda: "Being in Israel is very special. We expect to have some very interesting talks."

Trump meets with Rivlin at the President's Residence

Trump is holding a bilateral meeting with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin after arriving in Jerusalem. Trump's schedule for the day includes a visit at the Western Wall and a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before a festive dinner at the Prime Minister's Residence.

From plane to chopper to armed limo, President Trump goes to meet his Israeli counterpart Reuven Rivlin in Jerusalem.

Marine One lands at the President's Residence in Jerusalem.

Another shot of the Trump helicopter.

In a move that is sure to go viral, Israeli MK Oren Hazan causes a national embarrassment at Trump's reception.

President Trump boards "Marine One" helicopter that will take him to Jerusalem.

Next Stop the President's Residence: The rest of Trump's delegation will drive in a convoy to the Israeli capital on the main highway that was shut down for the visit.

Trump and Netanyahu are now in chopper heading from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, where Trump will meet with Rivlin.

Bennett to Trump: We hope you'll be first president to recognize united Jerusalem

Education Minister Naftali Bennett greeted US President Donald Trump upon his arrival in Israel on Monday afternoon at an elaborate red carpet greeting ceremony at Ben-Gurion Airport. "Welcome to Israel Mr. President," he told the American leader.

"On the 50th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem, we hope that you will be the first president to recognize a united Jerusalem."

POTUS shakes hands with Israeli ministers "forced" to attend ceremony.

Tillerson in Israel: Trump is ready to engage personally in Mideast peace.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Monday President Donald Trump was prepared to invest his personal efforts into Middle East peace if Israeli and Palestinian leaders were ready to be serious about engaging in the process.

Tillerson, speaking to reporters on Air Force One, said a three-way meeting between US, Israeli and Palestinian leaders was for a "later date" rather than on this trip.

Trump at Ben-Gurion Airport: 'We love Israel, we respect Israel'

US President Donald Trump reaffirmed the "unbreakable bond between the US and the State of Israel" on Monday upon arriving in Israel during his first foreign trip in office. "We love Israel, we respect Israel, and we send your people the warmest greeting from your friend and ally - all of the people of the United States."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomes Donald Trump to Israel

The world, the middle east, Israel need a strong US, the US needs a strong Israel.

President Trump reviews honor guard at Ben-Gurion Airport.

US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump exit Air Force One

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner arrive at Ben-Gurion Airport for the welcome ceremony

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara ready to meet US President Donald Trump at the bottom of the Air Force One staircase.

Police wrap up security preparations

Israeli Police confirmed that they are now done with heightened security preparations for Trump's visit to the Western Wall this afternoon. All sites where Trump will be visiting have now been secured.

Air Force One lands in Ben-Gurion Airport, starting first official trip to Israel.

US President Donald Trump arrived in Israel on Monday shortly after noon as Air Force One touched down at Ben-Gurion Airport after departing earlier in the day from Saudi Arabia.

Members of the Harley Davidson club set out on a ride honoring US President Donald Trump as he arrives in Israel for the first time as sitting president.

They started the ride at 12:00 p.m. in Tel Aviv and finished it in front of the US Embassy, blocking traffic along HaYarkon Street in Tel Aviv as the ceremony welcoming Trump to Israel unfolded at Ben-Gurion Airport.

Police now saying suspected car ramming was a traffic accident, not terror related.

A car has rammed into pedestrians in central Tel Aviv. Injured people on location.

Trump's arrival in Israel delayed by half hour

US President Donald Trump is en route to Israel from Saudi Arabia, where he spent the first two days of his foreign trip. He is expected to arrive in the country at 12:45 p.m. and will be received in an official ceremony at the Ben-Gurion Airport. His landing has been postponed by thirty minutes, as he was initially expected to arrive at 12:15 p.m.

US President Donald Trump departed from Saudi Arabia directly en route to Israel on Monday morning as part of his first foreign tour in office.

On Tuesday, Trump is scheduled to meet Abbas in Bethlehem, and immediately thereafter the US president is slated to return to Jerusalem for a very brief visit to Israel's Holocaust Museum, Yad Vashem. From there Trump will head straight to the Israel Museum, where he is expected to make a speech with which his trip to the Middle East will conclude.

Trump arrives in the region amid repeated iterations of hope that he can help restart the frozen diplomatic process between Israel and the Palestinians. His arrival in the Holy Land also comes as all sides await to see if he will make any announcement on his campaign pledge to move the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Trump's nine-day trip through the Middle East and Europe ends on Saturday after visits to the Vatican, Brussels and Sicily.

TANZANIA: Israeli Visa Handling Center In Dar es Salaam

Tanzania is looking to attract Israel tourists and business stakeholders, while Tanzanian Christian pilgrims are looking up to visit Israel in rising numbers through visa application between Dar es Salaam and Tel Aviv.

The Embassy of Israel in Nairobi has established a visa handling center in Dar es Salaam to strengthen bilateral relations with Tanzania, looking to process travel documents between Dar es Salaam and Tel Aviv.

Tanzania President John Magufuli had expressed his intention to open the Tanzania embassy in Tel Aviv in a letter he addressed to Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his official visit to Uganda in July of last year.

In the letter sent to Mr. Netanyahu through Tanzanian Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr. Augustine Mahiga, President Magufuli had expressed his intention to establish a permanent embassy in Israel for the first time.

Tanzanian Minister for Tourism Prof. Jumanne Maghembe said a visa handling center, of which he witnessed its opening, would speed up travel arrangements between Tanzania and Israel with expectations to attract more Israeli tourists while facilitating visa application to Tanzanians looking to visit the Holy Land.

Prof. Maghembe said tourist charter planes from Israel are welcomed to bring tourists to Tanzania through travel arrangements to be processed in Dar es Salaam.

The number of Israel tourists to Tanzania had increased from 3,007 in 2011 to 14,754 in 2015, according to data available from the Tanzania Tourist Board.

Israel still conducts its relations with Tanzania via its Embassy in Kenya, and Tanzanians wishing to travel to Israel had to process their documents through Nairobi. The 2 countries are now looking to further strengthen their relations for which Israel has opened a visa center in Tanzania.

The Tanzania Tourist Board, on its part, has been encouraging Israeli tourists to make Tanzania their African safari destination, while a number of Tanzanians were looking to travel to Israel for religious pilgrimage in holy cities of Israel.

Negotiations between the Tanzania government and Israel are going on to get the best means that would help to strengthen and quicken travel and tourism links between Israel and Tanzania.

There are tourist charter planes from Israel landing at Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar boarded with Israelis.

Israel ambassador in Kenya Mr. Yahel Vilan said Tanzania stands among African countries which Israel has been looking for business and diplomatic cooperation. Israeli airline, El Al, has been looking to launch special tourist flights to Tanzania.

Numbers of pilgrims from Tanzania intent to visit the Holy Land, are expected to increase, affirming that easing access to a visa is a key element to encourage additional travel.

The Embassy of the State of Israel in Nairobi will be officially opening an Israeli Visa Handling Center in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on November 4 in a function set from 10 am-12:30 pm.

The Honorable Professor Jumanne Maghembe, the Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism, has graciously accepted to be the Guest of Honor.

The purpose of opening the visa office it to allow for all visa applications and documents, which are brought from all over Tanzania to be handled at the Centre, simplifying the process for Tanzanians who wish to visit Israel, and as another step in the strengthening of relations between Tanzania and Israel.

Numbers of pilgrims from Tanzania intent to visit the Holy Land, are as a result expected to increase, affirming that easing access to a visa is a key element to encourage additional travel.

The Ambassador of the State of Israel, who will travel to Dar es Salaam for this landmark event, will be available for interviews by local, regional, and international media on the matter of the pending UNESCO resolution where Tanzania has called for a vote together with Croatia on behalf of the State of Israel, a sign of strong bilateral ties between the two countries.

The official inauguration ceremony of the Israeli Visa Handling Center at Rickshaw Travels offices will take place in the Hyatt Hotel in Dar es Salaam. The event will be held at the offices in the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Kibo Hall.

USA: Trump Starts Saudi Tour As Problems Mount At Home

US President Donald Trump landed in Saudi Arabia Saturday for the start of an eight-day foreign tour, taking his first steps on the world stage as scandals mount at home.

Trump can expect a warm welcome in Saudi Arabia where he is to meet King Salman and other senior royals -- in sharp contrast to Washington where pressure is building over his team's alleged links to Moscow.

Air Force One had barely taken off when it was announced that James Comey, the former FBI chief fired by Trump, had agreed to testify publicly about Russian interference in the US elections.

Reports also emerged that Trump had called Comey "a nut job" and that the FBI had identified a senior White House official as a "significant person of interest" in its probe of Russian meddling.

A red carpet was rolled out and staircase rolled up to Air Force One after it landed at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh shortly before 9:50 am (0650 GMT).

Trump and his wife Melania, who dressed conservatively in black but did not cover her hair, walked side-by-side to the tarmac where they both shook hands with Saudi King Salman.

Trump is to hold talks with King Salman and the kingdom's two powerful crown princes later on Saturday, before giving a speech on Islam to leaders of Muslim countries on Sunday.

For Riyadh the visit is an opportunity to rebuild ties with a key ally, which were strained under Trump's predecessor Barack Obama who Sunni Arab Gulf states suspected of a tilt towards their Shiite regional rival Iran.

That, together with a more muted focus on human rights and the likely announcement of new arms deals, should please Washington's traditional Sunni Gulf allies.

He's going to be tougher on Iran, said Philip Gordon, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. "He's not going to lecture them on democracy and human rights."

Sunday's speech to dozens of Muslim leaders has been touted as a major event -- along the lines of a landmark address to the Islamic world given by Obama in Cairo in 2009.

The speech will be especially sensitive given tensions sparked by the Trump administration's attempted travel ban targeting several Muslim majority nations and accusations of anti-Islamic rhetoric on the campaign trail.

I'll speak with Muslim leaders and challenge them to fight hatred and extremism, and embrace a peaceful future for their faith, Trump said ahead of his visit.

Trump wants Gulf states in particular to do more to tackle extremists such as the Islamic State jihadist group.

He will encourage our Arab and Muslim partners to take bold, new steps to promote peace and to confront those, from ISIS to Al-Qaeda... who perpetuate chaos and violence that has inflicted so much suffering throughout the Muslim world and beyond,said Trump's National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster.

Before departing, the president tweeted he would be "strongly protecting American interests" on his marathon eight-day trip to the Middle East and Europe.

After Saudi Arabia, Trump will head to Israel and the Palestinian Territories where he hopes to revive the moribund peace process.

He then travels to Europe where he will hold face-to-face meetings including with Pope Francis and France's new leader, Emmanuel Macron.

It is a trip fraught with peril for the real estate magnate, who is known to dislike lengthy travel.

The avalanche of revelations in the run-up to his departure have eroded Trump's standing at home where the parallels with Richard Nixon's ill-fated presidency are now being openly drawn.

On Friday, the probe into his campaign's Russia ties had identified a "significant person of interest" in the White House undercut Trump's insistence his election bid had nothing to do with the Kremlin.

The White House was rocked by another bombshell when reports emerged that Trump said his firing of "nut job" Comey had relieved "great pressure" on him due to the investigation.

The scandals have revived questions about his ability to strike a presidential tone with his foreign counterparts, with Trump declaring himself the victim of the "greatest witch hunt" in American political history.

Arms contracts

His visit to the Gulf is expected to bring lucrative arms contracts for US firms.

"The big question mark that you should bear in mind is if Saudi Arabia signs up for a $100 billion arms deal with oil prices where they are today, how are they actually going to pay that in the future?" said Bruce Riedel, former CIA analyst and counterterrorism expert now with the Brookings Institution.

In Israel, Trump will meet his "friend" Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in Bethlehem.

The Israeli leg of his trip is already awash in controversy -- from a row over Trump's visit to Jerusalem's Western Wall, the holiest prayer site for Jews, to his alleged disclosure of Israeli intelligence to Russian officials.

Trump's meeting with Pope Francis -- two men at odds on everything from climate change to refugee policy remains highly unpredictable, although the pontiff says he will give America's bullish leader an open-minded hearing.

The president will also meet members of NATO in Brussels and attend a G7 summit in the picturesque Sicilian town of Taormina overlooking the Mediterranean.