Trump shares letter from Palestinian President Abbas ahead of Netanyahu meeting

Donald Trump shared a photo late on Tuesday of a letter from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas wishing “strength and safety” to the Republican presidential nominee after he was shot.

In the letter, Abbas called the assassination attempt an “act of weakness” and said, “differences must be resolved through communication with freedom of expression.”

In response, Trump wrote, “Mahmoud, so nice. Thank you. Everything will be good. Best wishes.” The presidential candidate also signed below his response on the same letter.

Trump shared the letter on his platform Truth Social with the caption that read: “Looking forward to seeing Bibi Netanyahu on Friday, and even more forward to achieving Peace in the Middle East! DJT,” using Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s nickname.

Trump will host the Israeli premier on Friday at his resort in Palm Beach, Florida, a sign the two are looking to improve ties.

The meeting will be their first since the end of Trump’s presidency, during which the two forged close ties, and comes at a time of strains also between Netanyahu and Democratic President Joe Biden over Israel’s deadly war against the Iran-backed Hamas militants in Gaza.

The health ministry in Gaza said Wednesday at least 39,145 people have been killed in more than nine months of war. At least 90,000 people in the Palestinian territory have been wounded since the war began when Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7.

Netanyahu will seek the renewed support of Congress for Israel’s military operations in the Palestinian enclave, in a speech on Wednesday.

He will also meet both outgoing president Biden and Democratic presidential front-runner and current US Vice President Kamala Harris.

Many analysts believe a second Trump administration would give Netanyahu a freer hand in the Gaza war.

Netanyahu and Trump were mostly in sync ideologically and on policy during Trump’s 2017-2021 term. The US moved its embassy then from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a long-held conservative goal that delighted Israelis and infuriated Palestinians.

Trump has criticized Netanyahu for the security failures around the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas cross-border attack on Israel and has said Israel must quickly secure the release of hostages taken by Hamas and finish the war in Gaza.