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Trump, Clinton Reaffirm Support for Israel in Meetings with Netanyahu

by TheTower.org Staff |

Presidential nominees Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton separately met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, where each presidential candidate promised to ensure America’s continued support for Israel if elected.

Trump hailed American military aid to Israel, calling it “an excellent investment for America,” and Clinton reiterated a call she made earlier this year that peace between Israelis and Palestinians can only come from direct negotiations, not from outside organizations like the United Nations.

The 80-minute meeting with Trump on Sunday morning was also attended by Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, and Israeli Ambassador to the United States Ron Dermer.

“Mr. Trump recognized that Israel and its citizens have suffered far too long on the front lines of Islamic terrorism,” according to readout distributed by the Trump campaign. “He agreed with Prime Minister Netanyahu that the Israeli people want a just and lasting peace with their neighbors, but that peace will only come when the Palestinians renounce hatred and violence and accept Israel as a Jewish State.”

Trump also called Jerusalem “the eternal capital of the Jewish People for over 3000 years,” and declared his intent as president to follow a congressional mandate to recognize Jerusalem as the “the undivided capital of the State of Israel.”

The two discussed “the special relationship between America and Israel and the unbreakable bond between the two countries,” especially to “military assistance, security and regional stability.”

In his hour-long meeting Sunday evening with Clinton, Netanyahu thanked her for “for her friendship and support of Israel.” The meeting was also attended by Dermer and Jake Sullivan, Clinton’s top foreign policy advisor.

According to a readout from the Clinton campaign, the two politicians discussed the Iranian nuclear deal and the recently-signed memorandum of understanding on defense funding between the two countries. Clinton stressed that she would ensure that Iran abides by the terms of the nuclear deal, and promised to “take our partnership to the next level” by strengthening defense and intelligence ties.

The former Secretary of State also emphasized her commitment to fight attempts to delegitimize Israel, such as the BDS movement, repeating a theme she expressed in her address to AIPAC in March.

The meetings were arranged on Friday, Haaretz reported. After the Trump campaign called the Prime Minister’s Office to arrange a meeting, Netanyahu contacted the Clinton campaign to see if it was possible to meet with her too. “The prime minister’s instruction was clear – if we meet with one side, we must also meet with the other side,” a senior official working for Netanyahu told Haaretz.

[Photo: Gage Skidmore / WikiCommons ]

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