TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) - President Donald Trump opened his first visit to Israel Monday, an early visit by a president to a longtime Middle East ally and one aimed at testing the waters for jumpstarting the region’s dormant peace process.

Trump flew in from Saudi Arabia, where he basked in a lavish welcome from the kingdom’s royal family, and received a similarly warm welcome in Tel Aviv. In brief remarks during an airport ceremony, the president said he had come “to reaffirm the unbreakable bond between the United States and the state of Israel” and that his visit with Arab leaders gave him “new hope” for peace in the region.

“We have before us a rare opportunity to bring security and stability and peace to this region and tosubstantive. Tillerson referred to the visit as “a moment in time” and suggested that the U.S. would take a more active role in the future in brokering a deal if both sides make serious commitments.

Trump made one symbolic gesture Monday in bridging the gap between Israel and the Arab world. His flight on Air Force One was believed to be the first direct flight between Saudi Arabia and Israel, nations that do not have diplomatic relations. Netanyahu said he hoped an Israeli prime minister could soon make the same flight.

While Israeli officials cheered Trump’s election, some are now wary of the tougher line he has taken on settlements: urging restraint but not calling for a full halt to construction. Trump has also retreated from a campaign pledge to