President Trump’s social media director, Dan Scavino, promoted the president’s itinerary for upcoming foreign travel in a Facebook post, but turned some heads when he referred to “Palestinian Territories” as “Palestine.”
{mosads}Trump is scheduled to meet Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem, which the United States recognizes as being part of the Palestinian Authority.
The post last weekend, however, originally read “Palestine: President Abbas.” It was corrected to read, “Palestinian Territories: President Abbas” after it drew attention online this week.
Some critiqued the post, as neither the United States nor Israel recognize Palestine as a country.
“Even Obama didn’t say this. What the actual hell,” conservative Jewish commentator Ben Shapiro said of the post.
Others came to Scavino’s defense, noting that he wasn’t listing countries, but places. Rome, Brussels and Sicily, which are also listed in the post, aren’t countries either.
Trump has tasked his son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but no new peace talks have been announced.
Last month Trump said there is “no reason” Israelis and Palestinians cannot end their longstanding animosity.