Hillary Clinton, the presidential front-runner of the Democratic Party, criticized Republican Donald Trump for taking a neutral position on the efforts to reach a peace agreement between Israel and Palestine.
The Republican frontrunner said considered himself as extremely pro-Israel, but he expressed a neutral stance when it comes to trying to negotiate a settlement agreement for peace between Israel and Palestine.
Clinton says a neutral position is dangerous for Israel
During the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference, Clinton said Trump’s neutral position on the issue would be dangerous for Israel, which is a strong ally of the United States in the Middle East.
“America can’t ever be neutral when it comes to Israel’s security and survival. Anyone who doesn’t understand that has no business being our president,” said Clinton, without mentioning Trump’s name.
Clinton added that she would make it a priority to preserve the relationship of the United Stated with Israel if elected president. She would also ensure that Israel has a qualitative military edge.
Clinton emphasized, “We need steady hands, not a president who says he’s neutral on Monday, pro-Israel on Tuesday, and who-knows-what on Wednesday because everything’s negotiable.”
Clinton also criticized Trump’s position on immigration
The Democratic presidential front-runner also criticized Trump’s position on immigration. The billionaire vowed to deport the approximately 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States and impose a temporary ban on Muslims from entering the United States is elected president.
Clinton noted an incident during the 1930s when the United States initially refused to allow the entry of a shipload of Jews trying to escape the tyranny of the Nazi Germany.
“We’ve had dark chapters in our history before. We remember the nearly 1,000 Jews aboard the St. Louis, who were refused entry in 1939 and sent back to Europe. But America should be better than this. And I believe it is our responsibility to say so. If you see bigotry, oppose it, if you see violence, condemn it, if you see a bully, stand up to him,” she said.
Trump and his presidential Republican contenders, Senator Ted Cruz and Governor John Kasich, will also speak at the AIPAC conference.
Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, which represents 1.5 million American Jews, praised Clinton’s expertise on the issue. He is hoping to hear specific policy goals from Trump regarding the matter.
Jacobs said, “It’s as complex as neurosurgery. I will be listening very carefully to what he says and what he doesn’t say. Can he put forward a very clear set of commitments that will help us understand him?”
