Trump tells Netanyahu he would recognize
Jerusalem as Israel's capital
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[September 26, 2016]
By Alana Wise
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Republican
presidential nominee Donald Trump on Sunday told Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu that if elected, the United States would recognize
Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the campaign said, marking a
potential dramatic shift in U.S. policy.
During the meeting that lasted more than an hour at Trump Tower in New
York, Trump told Netanyahu that under his administration, the United
States would "recognize Jerusalem as the undivided capital of the State
of Israel."
While Israel calls Jerusalem its capital, few other countries accept
that, including the United States. Most nations maintain embassies in
Tel Aviv.
Palestinians want East Jerusalem, captured by Israel in a 1967 war, as
capital of the state they aim to establish alongside Israel in the West
Bank and Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu held a separate meeting later on Sunday that lasted just under
an hour with Democrat Hillary Clinton, Trump's rival in the Nov. 8 U.S.
election.
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Clinton emphasized her commitment to the U.S.-Israel relationship and
her plan to take the relationship to the next level, according to a
statement from her campaign.
She also talked about her commitment to a two-state solution to the
Israel-Palestinian conflict "that guarantees Israel’s future as a secure
and democratic Jewish state with recognized borders and provides the
Palestinians with independence, sovereignty, and dignity," according to
the statement.
"Secretary Clinton reaffirmed her opposition to any attempt by outside
parties to impose a solution, including by the U.N. Security Council,"
the statement said.
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Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu departs after meeting
with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump at Trump Tower in
New York, U.S. September 25, 2016. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
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During the meeting with Trump, the Republican candidate's campaign
said he agreed with Netanyahu that peace in the Middle East could
only be achieved when "the Palestinians renounce hatred and violence
and accept Israel as a Jewish State."
The Trump campaign said he and Netanyahu discussed "at length"
Israel's border fence, cited by Trump in reference to his own
controversial immigration policies, which include building a wall on
the U.S.- Mexico border and temporarily banning Muslims from
entering the country.
Other regional issues, including the fight against Islamic State,
U.S. military assistance to Israel - "an excellent investment" - and
the Iran nuclear deal, which both parties have criticized, were also
discussed.
(Additional reporting by Michelle Conlin in New York and Caren Bohan
in Washington; Editing by Bill Trott and Sandra Maler)
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