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Trump to Head to Saudi Arabia, Israel and Rome on First Overseas Trip

By Steve Herman May 04, 2017

In a surprise announcement Thursday, the White House said President Donald Trump's first overseas stop will be to Saudi Arabia, where he will meet with leaders from numerous Muslim nations to discuss a coordinated ideological campaign against radical Islam. The trip is scheduled for later in May.

The rest of his journey also will have religious overtones, with visits to the Holy Land – to try to jump start the Middle East peace process – and an audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican.

Trump told a National Day of Prayer gathering Thursday in the White House Rose Garden that his foreign travels as president "will begin with a truly historic gathering in Saudi Arabia with leaders from all across the Muslim world."

Trip to start in Saudi Arabia

The president said the reason for initially going there is because Saudi Arabia is "the custodian of the two holiest sites in Islam, and it is there that we will begin to construct a new foundation of cooperation and support with our Muslim allies to combat extremism, terrorism, and violence, and to embrace a more just and hopeful future for young Muslims in their countries."

The task of the United States, President Trump added "is not to dictate to others how to live, but to build a coalition of friends and partners who share the goal of fighting terrorism and bringing safety, opportunity, and stability to the war-ravaged Middle East."

During his campaign for the presidency, Trump repeatedly indicated he wanted the United States to draw back from solving all the world's major problems, proposing a more nationalistic and isolationist agenda.

"America First is fully compatible with American leadership in the world," a senior administration official told reporters Thursday at the White House.

Schedule is not set

Although precise dates have not yet been announced, after Saudi Arabia, Trump will visit Israel, "where he will further strengthen the United States-Israel partnership," according to the White House. He also is to meet with Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, presumably in the West Bank.

Trump met at the White House in February with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and yesterday hosted Abbas.

During the Israel visit there will be a discussion on "ways to advance a genuine and lasting peace between the Israelis and Palestinians," according to the White House.

Final stops in Italy

After leaving the Middle East, the president will meet Pope Francis at the Vatican. Also in Rome, Trump will meet with Italian President Sergio Mattarella, who hosts this month's G-7 summit in Sicily.

Before returning to Italy for that meeting of world leaders, Trump will stop in Brussels for the NATO summit and also hold meetings with European Union heads of government.