Tight security for Trump's visit to Israel, Palestine

United States President Donald Trump will be visiting Israel and the Palestinian territories on 22 and 23 may.

Trump will meet with Netanyahu in Jerusalem on 22 may and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem on 23 may. 

According to reports, Trump is expected to have bilateral talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestine President Mahmud Abbas amid tight security.

The U.S. President is on record as having earlier said that Israel and the Palestinian State will have to engage in direct talks to resolve all of their issues, including the contentious one of Israeli settlements.

Over half-a-million Jews live in about 140 settlements built since Israel's 1967 occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, land the Palestinians claim for a future state.

The settlements are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.

The other vexed issue is that of Jerusalem. Israel regards Jerusalem as its capital, while the Palestinians have staked claim to the eastern part as their capital.

The international community, however, does not recognise Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem.

From Israel, the U.S. President will travel to the Vatican, Brussels and Sicily to meet Pope Francis, attend the NATO Summit and a meeting of the G-7 respectively between May 24 and May 26.

-ANI