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Netanyahu meets US presidential candidates in New York

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Israel’s Prime Minister yesterday met the Republican and Democrat candidates for the US presidency in separate meetings in New York.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu first met Republican candidate Donald Trump at his residence in Manhattan. According to a Trump campaign statement, they “discussed the special relationship between America and Israel and the unbreakable bond between the two countries”. In particular, they discussed “military assistance, security and regional stability”.

The same statement said that Trump pledged as president to recognise Jerusalem as “the undivided capital of the State of Israel,” a contentious issue between Israel and the Palestinians. The US Embassy remains in Tel Aviv, despite several Congressional laws to move its location to Jerusalem.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s office said “Prime Minister Netanyahu thanked Mr. Trump for his friendship and support of Israel” and that Netanyahu presented “positions on regional affairs related to Israel’s security and efforts to reach peace and stability in our region”. The statement added that the meeting was also attended by Israel’s Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Later in the day, Netanyahu met Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton at the W Hotel in New York. Haaretz reports that after the Trump campaign initiated a meeting, Netanyahu insisted on seeing Clinton too, in order to preserve political impartiality.

According to a Clinton aide, she “stressed that a strong and secure Israel is vital to the US because we share overarching strategic interests and the common values”. Clinton also “committed to continue to work closely with Israel to enforce and implement the nuclear deal with Iran,” an agreement vehemently opposed by Netanyahu.

Clinton indicated that under her leadership, the US would continue to block attempts to condemn Israel at the UN. Her campaign team said Clinton stressed “her opposition to any attempt by outside parties to impose a solution” to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, “including by the UN Security Council”. The meeting was reportedly also attended by Dermer and Clinton’s adviser Jake Sullivan.