Among the multitude of topics discussed in his Time MagazineMan of the Year interview, US President-elect Donald Trump was asked about Israel and his hopes to end the current war in Gaza.
According to the President-elect, the issues in the Middle East are easier to solve than even those between Russia and Ukraine. "The Middle East is going to be solved. The Middle East has been—it's a horrible thing. October 7 was a horrible thing. Everyone is forgetting conveniently about October 7, but that was a horrible day for the world, not for Israel, for the world. And I think the Middle East is going to get—as we speak, things are happening very productively in the Middle East. I think the Middle East is going to get solved. I think it's more complicated than the Russia-Ukraine, but I think it's, it’s, it’s easier to solve."
While he said that he has not received any assurance from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the war, he noted: "I think he feels very confident in me, and I think he knows I want it to end. I want everything to end."
Asked if he supports a two-state solution, Trump replied: "I support a plan of peace, and it can take different forms. When I did the Abraham Accords, that should have been loaded up with people, you know. I made a statement. I think they (the current administration) didn't add one country. Think of it. They didn't add one country to the Abraham Accords. We had the four countries, very important countries, but that should have been loaded up with Middle Eastern countries.
He added: "There are other ideas other than two states, but I support whatever is necessary to get not just peace, a lasting peace. It can't go on where every five years you end up in tragedy. There are other alternatives."
Trump also discussed the possibility of going to war with Iran in his term, saying: "Anything can happen. It's a very volatile situation."
In the interview, the President-elect was asked if he trusts Prime Minister Netanyahu, to which he answered: "I don’t trust anybody."
He also denied that his close confidant, businessman Elon Musk met with Iranian officials at his behest: "I don't know. He didn't tell me that."