Trump acknowledged that “Jerusalem has been the eternal capital of the Jewish People for over 3,000 years” and promised Netanyahu that his administration would “finally accept the long-standing Congressional mandate to recognize Jerusalem as the undivided capital of the State of Israel.”
By David M Jackson
USA TODAY
September 25, 2016
A day before their first debate, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton engaged in a little global diplomacy courtesy of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
While both presidential candidates pledged to guarantee Israel's security during separate meetings with Netanyahu in New York City, each stressed different issues in post-meeting statements: Trump used his session to discuss security fencing — echoing his call for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border — while Clinton emphasized the need for a two-state agreement involving the Palestinian Authority.
Clinton, a former secretary of State, "reaffirmed her unwavering commitment to the U.S.-Israel relationship and her plan to take our partnership to the next level," said a statement issued by her campaign after the evening meeting with Netanyahu.
In a separate statement issued after a morning meeting at Trump Tower, the Republican campaign said that "Mr. Trump and the Prime Minister discussed the special relationship between America and Israel and the unbreakable bond between the two countries."
Clinton's statement said she expressed continued support for the Iran nuclear deal, which both Netanyahu and Trump have criticized. It added that Clinton said she would work to block Iran's support for terrorism in the region, and vowed to fight the Islamic State and other extremist groups that threaten Israel.
The Democratic presidential nominee also "stressed her commitment to countering attempts to de-legitimize Israel," the statement said, "including through the BDS movement" that supports economic boycotts of Israel over the Palestinian issue.
The former secretary of State "reaffirmed her commitment to work toward a two-state solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict negotiated directly by the parties that guarantees Israel’s future as a secure and democratic Jewish state with recognized borders and provides the Palestinians with independence, sovereignty, and dignity," said the Clinton campaign statement.
It added that Clinton opposes "any attempt by outside parties to impose a solution, including by the UN Security Council."
After his meeting with Netanyahu, Trump said his administration would "finally accept the long-standing Congressional mandate to recognize Jerusalem as the undivided capital of the State of Israel," according to his campaign statement.
As for the peace process in general, the campaign said that Trump and Netanyahu agreed 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."
The two men also discussed their mutual opposition to the Iran nuclear agreement and support for the battle against the Islamic State, the Trump campaign said, as well as cybersecurity, a high-tech economy, missile defense and efforts to defeat terrorism in general.
Another topic: An anti-migration wall along the lines of the one Trump has proposed for the U.S.-Mexican border.
"Mr. Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu discussed at length Israel's successful experience with a security fence that helped secure its borders," the Trump campaign said.
1 comment:
Why anybody believes ANYTHING that Hillary says is beyond me.
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