ALBAWABA - During a press conference on Thursday, US President Donald Trump got into a tense and awkward argument with a French journalist who asked him about Israel's latest move in the West Bank.
Trump seemed annoyed by the question, which was about one of the most sensitive issues in Middle East diplomacy, and he used humor to avoid answering it. Instead, he made fun of the reporter's accent.
It all started when the reporter asked, "The Israeli Knesset voted to annex the West Bank." Do you think this will make it harder for you to keep the peace? Trump stopped and asked her to say the question again, this time louder. The president turned to Pam Bondi, the former attorney general of Florida, who was standing next to him, and joked, "Can you answer that, please?" I can't understand a word she's saying.
Trump looked back at the reporter and asked, "Where are you from?" while some people laughed. Trump smiled and said, "You're from France?" when she said she was from France. Your accent is lovely, but we can't understand what you're saying.
Then Bondi made it clear that the question was about Israel and the West Bank. Trump then casually said, "The West Bank?" Don't worry about the West Bank. Okay, Israel isn't going to do anything there. Israel is doing fine. They won't do anything there.
The exchange quickly went viral on social media, with many people sharing clips of the moment. Critics said Trump made fun of the reporter and ignored a serious policy question, while his supporters said the moment was typical of the president's unscripted, funny style.
The question was about a recent vote in the Israeli Knesset that supported taking over parts of the occupied West Bank. Some experts say this could hurt U.S. efforts to make peace in the area. Trump's casual dismissal of the issue brought back attention to how his administration handles diplomacy in the Middle East and how he often handles sensitive international issues in ways that are hard to predict.
