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Hillary Clinton: I Would Take U.S. Relations with Israel “to the Next Level”

Hillary Clinton, the front runner for the Democratic presidential nomination, said that she would take America’s relationship with Israel “to the next level” if elected, Reuters reported on Sunday.

In a speech at the Saban Forum, an annual gathering mainly focused on Israel’s security issues, the former secretary of state promised to invite Israel’s prime minister to Washington on her first day in office, repeating a pledge she made twice previously. She added that this would be an opportunity “to work towards very much strengthening and intensifying our relationship on military matters.”

Clinton specifically mentioned education as a means to “tie the bonds tighter” between Israel and the U.S., The Times of Israel reported. She also said that as president she would seek to renew peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, and called on Arab leaders to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, something the Palestinian Authority has refused to do.

Addressing other challenges in the Middle East, Clinton stated that she would strictly enforce the nuclear deal with Iran, refusing to rule out the use of military force in the event that the Islamic Republic violates the agreement. She further emphasized that the U.S. and its allies need to work to defeat both the Sunni jihadists of ISIS and the Iran-backed regime of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.

An op-ed in Ynet on Monday hailed the speech as “warm and sympathetic,” as well as a chance for Clinton to distance herself from President Barack Obama.

[Photo: wochit News / YouTube ]