Donald Trump on Tuesday shared on his Truth social media platform a letter that he received from Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas condemning the assassination attempt against the former U.S. president.
The Republican nominee for the White House posted the letter ahead of his scheduled Friday meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago.
“Looking forward to seeing Bibi Netanyahu on Friday, and even more forward to achieving Peace in the Middle East! DJT,” Trump wrote.
BREAKING: Ahead of his meeting with Netanyahu on Friday, Trump posts a letter he received from Palestinian President Abbas about the assassination attempt against him and stresses he wants peace in the Middle East pic.twitter.com/WYIrsQmNro
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) July 24, 2024
The letter was sent from Ramallah on July 14, the day after Trump was shot in the ear while speaking on stage at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. Abbas wrote that “acts of violence must not have a place in a world of law and order. Respect for the other with tolerance and valuing of human life is what must prevail.”
Abbas continued: “Despicable acts of attempted or successful assassinations are acts of weakness with failed understanding of peaceful measures to resolve conflicts. Differences must be resolved through communication with freedom of expression.”
Trump responded to Abbas with a handwritten note on the letter: “So nice. Thank you. Everything will be good. Best wishes.” He then signed his name.
The Palestinian leader himself has been accused of promoting violence with the P.A.'s “pay-to-slay” policy of financially compensating the families of terrorists who murder or attempt to murder Israelis.
His Fatah faction, which rules Judea and Samaria, on Tuesday signed a unity agreement that includes the Hamas terror group in Gaza. On Oct. 7, Hamas perpetrated the massacre of 1,200 people in southern Israel and kidnapped some 250 others, of whom 116 remain in captivity (out of 120 total Israeli captives in Gaza).
The “Beijing declaration” was signed by 14 Palestinian factions that took part in negotiations hosted by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Fatah, based in Ramallah, and Hamas have been split since 2007 following the latter’s violent takeover of Gaza. There have been many failed attempts to bring the two factions together.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a statement on Tuesday that “instead of rejecting terrorism, Mahmoud Abbas embraces the murderers and rapists of Hamas, revealing his true face.
“In reality, this won’t happen because Hamas’s rule will be crushed, and Abbas will be watching Gaza from afar. Israel’s security will remain solely in Israel’s hands,” Jerusalem’s top diplomat added.
Netanyahu was one of the first world leaders to respond to the attempt on Trump’s life, saying on July 14 that it “is not only a heinous crime, it is also an attempt to assassinate American democracy.”
At the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said that he “would like to send him in my name, in the name of my wife, Sara, in the name of the ministers of the Israeli government and in the name of the entire people of Israel our best wishes for a speedy recovery and a return to full strength.”
The Israeli premier is in Washington this week before his meeting in Florida with Trump. He will address a joint session of Congress on Wednesday and meet with President Joe Biden at the White House on Thursday. He is also expected to meet Vice President Kamala Harris, who Biden endorsed for the Democratic nomination for president after ending his reelection bid on Sunday.
Trump earlier this year expressed doubt about the viability of a Palestinian state next to Israel.
“Most people thought it was going to be a two-state solution. I’m not sure a two-state solution anymore is gonna work,” the former president said in an interview with TIME Magazine published in late April.
“There was a time when I thought two states could work. Now I think two states is going to be very, very tough. I think it’s going to be much tougher to get. I also think you have fewer people that liked the idea. You had a lot of people that liked the idea four years ago. Today, you have far fewer people that like that idea,” he added.
