In his address Tuesday at the Israel Museum, the US president showered the Jewish state with effusive praise and vowed to "always stand with Israel." He did not endorse Palestinian statehood. But he asserted that "the Palestinians are ready to reach for peace" and, in a little-noticed phrase, appeared to suggest that the conflict could end as soon as Israel withdraws from the West Bank.

"We know, for instance, that both Israelis and Palestinians seek lives of hope for their children," Trump said. "And we know that peace is possible if we put aside the pain and disagreements of the past and commit together to finally resolving this crisis, which has dragged on for nearly half a century or more."

The last phrase -- a clear reference to the 1967 Six Day War, the 50th anniversary of which will be marked next month -- could be interpreted as implying that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict started with Israel's "occupation" of the West Bank.