Courtesy of JNS. Photo credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images
U.S. President Donald J. Trump tours the synagogue at the Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on May 16, 2025
(JNS) — U.S. President Donald Trump concluded his Middle East tour on Friday with a visit to the Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi, an interfaith complex housing a mosque, church and synagogue.
During his visit to the Moses Ben Maimon Synagogue, guided by Emirati representatives, Trump described the experience as “amazing.”
“The Abrahamic Family House stands as a sacred and powerful testament to the vision of the Middle East shared by the United States of America and the United Arab Emirates,” he wrote in the guest book. “I see in this house the promise for our future if humanity chooses cooperation over conflict, friendship over enmity, prosperity over poverty, and hope over despair.”
While in Abu Dhabi, Trump stated, “We’re looking at Gaza. And we’re going to get that taken care of. A lot of people are starving. … There’s a lot of bad things going on.”
Earlier, during a business summit in Qatar on Thursday, he proposed a plan regarding Gaza, saying, “Gaza’s been a territory of death and destruction for many years. And, you know, I have concepts for Gaza that I think are very good. Make it a freedom zone. Let the United States get involved and make it just a freedom zone.”
Trump continued, “They’d be proud to have the United States have it, take it, make it a freedom zone, let some good things happen, put people in homes where they can be safe. And Hamas is going to have to be dealt with.”
Trump indicated progress in nuclear negotiations, saying, “We’re in very serious negotiations” with Iran for long-term peace.
UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan emphasized the importance of addressing the hostage situation in Gaza, speaking during an interview with Fox News on Thursday.
“First, getting the hostages out, we need calm in Gaza, and we need an authority that is not Hamas that controls Gaza. If we can provide citizens ideas, we are always here to do so,” Abdullah said.
Trump’s visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE included significant economic agreements, including a $1.4 trillion investment in the U.S. AI sector by the UAE. The trip also featured discussions on regional security and diplomatic efforts concerning Iran, Syria and Gaza.
