Republican candidate Donald Trump pledged on Sunday (Sep 25) in a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s “undivided” capital if he is elected president.
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And – in a nod to Trump’s calls to build a wall along the border between the United States and Mexico – Trump’s campaign said the two “discussed at length Israel’s successful experience with a security fence that helped secure its borders”. In a readout from the meeting, Trump’s campaign described it as an “opportunity to discuss many topics important to both countries”, noting Trump’s long-standing acquaintance with the Israeli leader.
According to the Clinton campaign, they also discussed the Iran nuclear deal and her commitment to working toward a two-state solution to resolve the conflict between Israel and Palestinian territories. Making inroads with the Jewish community is a must for Donald Trump who lags strongly behind previous Republican candidates who carried the demographic in recent years.
According to his campaign, Trump spent more than an hour meeting with Netanyahu at his residence in Trump Tower.
USA presidential candidates were meeting separately with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Sunday, on the eve of their first presidential debate. It was hardly their first discussion – the pair often held talks during Hillary Clinton’s tenure as secretary of state. The status of Jerusalem is a highly contentious issue between Israelis and Palestinians.
“Mr Trump recognised Israel as a vital partner of the United States in the global war against radical Islamic terrorism”, it said.
Trump also vowed “extraordinary strategic, technological, military and intelligence cooperation between the two countries” if he’s elected. “In Israel they profile”, Trump said on Fox News.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu discussed with Mr Trump issues relating to Israel’s security and its efforts to achieve stability and peace in the Middle East”, it said. But he also raised eyebrows when he questioned Israel’s commitment to a peace deal previous year and said he didn’t want to show any bias in favor of one side or the other.
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Netanyahu’s meetings with Trump and Clinton come after the U.S. recently completed a 10-year, $38bn military aid package for Israel.
