Israel, Palestinians on agenda at UN General Assembly

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Israeli and Palestinian leaders prepared Thursday to take centre stage within an hour of each other at the U.N. General Assembly.

Their speeches come a day after Donald Trump suggested for the first time as U.S. president that he “liked” a two-state solution as the most effective way to resolve their conflict.

Also on the docket at the U.N.: a Security Council meeting chaired by the American secretary of state that will focus on North Korea and its nuclear program.

Trump made his comments Wednesday while meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Trump told reporters he believes that two states — Israel and one for the Palestinians — “works best.” He has been vague on the topic, suggesting he would support whatever the parties might agree to, a message he also recapped Wednesday.

“If the Israelis and Palestinians want one state, that’s OK with me. If they want two states, that’s OK with me. I’m happy if they’re happy,” he said.

Hours before Netanyahu was scheduled to speak at the U.N. on Thursday, Israel’s defense minister expressed indifference to Trump’s remarks, saying that the Israeli interest is “a safe Jewish state.”

Avigdor Lieberman said a Palestinian state “simply doesn’t interest me.”

Netanyahu has in the past reluctantly accepted the concept of Palestinian statehood but has since backtracked.

A top coalition partner is threatening to topple his government if it returns to the agenda.

The two sides in one of the world’s most high-profile and volatile conflicts are always forceful voices at the U.N. and its annual General Assembly meeting of world leaders, but their leaders are speaking Thursday after a particularly eventful year in their relations.

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