Donald Trump expressed gratitude to Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority president, for his good wishes following an assassination attempt on Trump. This friendly gesture comes before a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has historically worked to sideline Abbas.
Abbas sent a letter to Trump on July 14, one day after the shooting, expressing concern and condemning acts of violence. In response, Trump wrote on Abbas’ letter, “Mahmoud — so nice — thank you — everything will be good. Best wishes, Donald Trump.”
The correspondence is significant given the strained relations between Abbas and Trump, particularly after Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and endorsed a peace plan that favored Israeli control over parts of the West Bank.
Netanyahu and his allies in the Trump administration had pushed for cutting off ties with the Palestinian Authority, but Trump’s recent social media post with Abbas’ letter may indicate a shift in stance. This has raised concerns among some pro-Israel Republicans who support Trump’s return to office.
Trump mentioned his upcoming meeting with Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago, expressing his desire to achieve peace in the Middle East. Netanyahu, in turn, praised both Biden and Trump during a speech to Congress and has been adamant in rejecting Palestinian Authority control in Gaza post-Israeli-Hamas conflict.