U.S. President Donald Trump met with Arab and Muslim leaders overnight on Wednesday, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, including representatives from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.
Trump told reporters at the meeting’s outset, which he repeatedly called “the most important” of his tenure, “We want to end the war in Gaza. We’re going to end it. Maybe we can end it now.”
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. President Donald Trump
(Photo: Reuters)
The session also included Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff, with Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani saying, “We trust Trump’s leadership to end the Gaza war. The situation is dire, and we’re here to do all we can to stop the fighting and return the hostages.”
After the meeting, Trump said, “We discussed Gaza—it was a very successful meeting with all the big players, except Israel. The next step will be a meeting with the Israelis. We’ll see what happens with Gaza, but it was a very good meeting with great leaders.”
Axios reported beforehand that the talks would address not only ending the war and freeing hostages but also U.S. plans for an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza under a future agreement and the nature of post-war governance.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the meeting “productive and very good. I’m satisfied and hope the outcome will be positive,” while the UAE noted it focused on ending the ongoing Gaza war, securing a lasting ceasefire, releasing all hostages and addressing the worsening humanitarian crisis.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron, who announced France’s recognition of a Palestinian state on Tuesday, addressed the UN General Assembly overnight. Before his speech, he responded to Trump’s address, saying, “If he wants the Nobel Peace Prize, he must end the Gaza war.”
U.S. President Donald Trump at the UN
(Video: UN)
In a BFM interview from New York, Macron emphasized, “Only the U.S. president holds the leverage needed over Israel,” citing America’s weapons supply to the region. In his speech, Macron said, “Yesterday, we adopted a credible plan to end the Gaza war and preserve a two-state solution—Israel and Palestine—that ensures the release of all hostages and reduces casualties.
“We’re calling for peace, starting with freeing those still held by Hamas and halting attacks on Gaza. I’m glad Saudi Arabia and France convinced 142 member states to sign this declaration.”
He added, “We’ve laid hands on a peace understanding—immediate peace, hostage release, ceasefire, stability in Gaza, dismantling Hamas, and mutual recognition of two states: a demilitarized Palestine recognizing Israel, and an Israel recognizing Palestine.
“We hope all Middle Eastern nations yet to do so will recognize Israel. This is a call for peace and broader regional stability, which Israel cannot achieve amid ongoing war with its neighbors.” He urged peace in the West Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem.
Macron told French media, “There’s one person who can act, and that’s the U.S. president. He has more influence because we don’t provide the weapons enabling the Gaza fighting—America does.”
French President Emmanuel Macron at the UN
(Video: UN WEB TV)
Trump delivered a combative, lengthy UN address on Tuesday, rejecting Western moves to recognize a Palestinian state as “a reward for Hamas,” though he added, “We must stop the Gaza war immediately and negotiate peace.”
Macron responded, “I see an involved American president who said from the podium, ‘I want peace, I resolved seven conflicts,’ a president seeking the Nobel Peace Prize. That’s possible only by stopping this war.”
In a later meeting, Macron told Trump, “Recognizing a Palestinian state doesn’t ignore Hamas’s deadly October 2023 attack.” Trump condemned Western actions, including France’s, calling them “rewarding the horrific atrocities” of Hamas.
Several countries, including Israel, Pakistan, and Cambodia, have nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in past peace deals and ceasefires, a prize he’s previously claimed he deserves, joined by four former U.S. presidents.
Macron’s remarks follow France’s diplomatic push on Monday, when it announced recognition of a Palestinian state during a UN event tied to a French-Saudi conference promoting a two-state solution, joined by Monaco, Luxembourg, Malta and San Marino.
Belgium offered symbolic recognition, awaiting legal steps until hostages are freed and Hamas is ousted, while Andorra set similar conditions. Other nations, including Japan’s foreign minister, support a two-state solution but hesitate to recognize it directly, with Macron warning that on-ground developments like mass displacement or irreversible changes could derail future peace.