Israeli PM: The alliance between America and Israel has never been stronger

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US President Donald Trump expressed his hopes for a peaceful settlement to the Middle East crisis again on Monday as he met Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Netanyahu was the first leader to have a one-on-one talk with Trump during the US president's first appearance at United Nations General Assembly, an annual week of high-level diplomacy.

The conversations in New York are expected to be dominated by such topics as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) nuclear and missile programs, the Iran nuclear deal, the crisis in Syria and the debate on climate change.

But Trump reminded reporters that he would honor his pledge to help negotiate an end to the long dispute between Israel and the Palestinians.

"We're going to be discussing many things; among them, peace between the Palestinians and Israel, it will be a fantastic achievement," he said.

"We are giving it an absolute go. I think there's a good chance that it could happen. Most people would say there's no chance whatsoever," he said.

" I really think we have a chance," he insisted.

"I think Israel would like to see it, and I think the Palestinians would like to see it. And I can tell you that the Trump administration would like to see it. So we're working very hard on it. We'll see what happens. Historically, people say it can't happen. I say it can happen."

Netanyahu thanked Trump for his and the United States' support for Israel, and said he wanted to focus on the Iranian threat and Tehran's growing clout in Syria.

But he also agreed to discuss the "opportunity for peace" between Israel and Palestinians and, in his preferred emphasis, "between Israel and the Arab World.

Trump is due to meet the Palestinian leader, Mahmud Abbas on Wednesday, during the UN General Assembly.

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Source(s): AFP