Qatar- Clinton Trump Pledge Support for Israel

3/24/2016 3:09:24 AM

(MENAFN- Qatar News Agency) Washington March 22 (QNA) - The leading contenders for the US presidential race the Democratic Hillary Clinton and the Republican Donald Trump both pledged to continue US support for Israel if they win the presidential elections.
This came at the annual convention of American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
Clinton lashed out at critics of Israel who promote boycotting Israeli goods promised to increase military aid to Israel and vowed to stop a UN Security Council resolution that would set a deadline for the end of Israel's West Bank occupation.
"We must repudiate all efforts to malign isolate and impugn Israel and the Jewish people" Clinton told 18000 people attending the AIPAC conference.
In a half-hour speech she only uttered the word "Palestinian" ten times and mostly in connection with "terrorism" Qatar News Agency (QNA) correspondent in Washington said adding that she briefly called for a resumption of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.
She said "converging interests between Israel and key Arab states "could make it possible to restart the talks" adding "Israelis and Palestinians could contribute toward greater cooperation between Israel and Arabs." She also called on Palestinian leaders to stop what she called "inciting violence" stop celebrating who she named them "terrorists" as martyrs and stop paying rewards to their families Clinton said that the US has an international responsibility and it would be a serious mistake for the United States to abandon its responsibilities for global peace and security.
She also blasted her possible Republican opponent the businessman Donald Trump for a remark he made on the campaign trail that he would be "neutral" in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
"America can't ever be neutral when it comes to Israel's security and survival" Clinton said. "Israel's security is nonnegotiable" she added.
She also criticized Trump for apparently changing his position several times on Israel saying that the US needs a president who has a steady stance towards Israel.
Several hours later Trump addressed the same AIPAC conference vowing that when he became a president he will move the US embassy to Al-Quds/Jerusalem.
Trump said his "number one priority" is to dismantle the nuclear deal with Iran which he called "disastrous" for the "whole of the Middle East." Iran can "keep the terms" and "still get the bomb" he said.
He also said he would not allow the Security Council to impose a settlement in Palestine. "An agreement imposed by the United Nations would be a total and complete disaster" he said.
"The United States must oppose this resolution and use the power of our veto which I will use as president" he said.
Trump did not respond to Clinton's detailed criticisms of him in her speech. He simply called her a "total disaster." (QNA)

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