RAMALLAH, West Bank — Palestinians have mixed expectations about a potential US role in reviving the peace process with Israel. Some are optimistic that Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will be able to convince US President Donald Trump's administration to energize negotiations impartially, while others fear Trump's previously stated support of Israel indicates he will either heavily skew the process in Israel's favor or torpedo it all together.

After the Arab League Summit on March 29 in Jordan, Abdullah and Sisi set in motion political action in the United States to mobilize the peace process between Palestinians and Israelis. The two leaders are making their move based on agreements reached during the summit: Arab leaders there mainly agreed to work toward setting "a specific timetable for ending the conflict based on the two-state solution,” observing the Arab Peace Initiative adopted during a 2002 summit.

Azzam Ahmad, a member of political party Fatah's Central Committee, said in an April 2 statement that the Fatah-ruled Palestinian Authority (PA) is counting on Sisi and Abdullah to convey to Trump the decisions reached during the recent summit and during a March 29 tripartite meeting among Sisi, Abdullah and PA President Mahmoud Abbas. During that meeting, the leaders agreed to coordinate their next steps and persuade Trump of the Palestinian wish to resume the peace process with Israel.

Sisi visited Washington and met with Trump on April 3. Their talks addressed the Palestinian cause, among other issues. Two days later, Abdullah met with Trump, after which he praised “Trump's commitment to dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” saying he had high hopes for the Arab League peace initiative, which could help Trump bring together Palestinians and Israelis. Abbas is due to meet with Trump in Washington this month.