President Donald Trump said Thursday that he believes there is a "chance" for a Middle East peace settlement, long one of the most elusive goals of U.S. diplomacy.

 

"I think we have a chance of doing it," he told reporters during a White House news conference with Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah.

 

Trump acknowledged that previous administrations had come close to, yet never reached, a deal between Israel and the Palestinians. But he said: "We're going to give it our best."

 

The president said both sides wanted peace and that the U.S. had "tremendous talent" working on the problem. He did not mention his son-in-law Jared Kushner, who last month led a U.S. delegation to the region to discuss reviving the peace process.