Hillary: No Friend of Israel

8/19/2019 Hillary: No Friend of Israel

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2/17

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H I L L A R Y C L I N T O N , N O F R I E N D O F I S R A E L

CLINTON: RELUCTANT, UNCOMMITTED IN SUPPORTING ISRAELThe rise o ISIS, he implemenaion o he Iran nuclear deal, growing secarian

violence, and poliical and social desabilizaion across he Middle Eas have all

increased he isolaion o America’s sronges ally, Israel.

As he Middle Eas coninues o grow more dangerous under Presiden Obama’s

wach, Hillary Clinon, he chie archiec o Obama’s ailed oreign policy, is

seeking o become he nex Presiden o he Unied Saes.

Can Hillary Clinon be rused o uphold America’s commimen o Israel’s securiy?

One look at her record reveals that she has been reluctant, in supporting Israel.


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QUESTIONABLE LEVEL OF COMMITMENT TO THE RELATIONSHIP

During Clinon’s enure as Secreary o Sae, she only made five diplomaic rips o

Israel, a number which pales in comparison o pas secrearies.

Clinon managed o ravel o anoher Major Non-NATO Ally o he Unied Saes,Egyp, 6 imes.

THE WASHINGTON POST:

“Bu Clinon made only five visis o Israel — he leas

o any ull-erm secreary o sae since William Rogers,

who served in he Nixon adminisraion.”

( GLENN KESSLER, “HILLARY CLINTON’S OVERSEAS DIPLOMACY VERSUS

OTHER SECRETARIES,”THE WASHINGTON POST, 1/4/13 )


4/17

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THE CLINTON-OBAMA HARDLINE AGAINST ISRAEL

Secreary Clinon embodies he Obama Adminisraion’s “clear break” wih

radiional U.S. policy owards Israel and her decision o “ge ough” was o he

derimen o U.S.-Israel relaions.

THE WASHINGTON POST:

“The new adminisraion has pushed a rese buton

wih Russia and sen new ambassadors o Syria and

Venezuela; i has offered olive branches o Cubaand Burma. Bu or nearly hree monhs i has been

locked in a public conronaion wih Israel over Jewish

housing consrucion in Jerusalem and he Wes Bank.

To a less visible exen, he wo governmens also have

differed over policy oward Iran.”

( EDITORIAL, “TOUGH ON ISRAEL,” THE WASHINGTON POST, 7/30/09 )

As chie diploma, Secreary Clinon was in charge o leading his dramaic shif in

policy. Clinon expressed “increased rankness” and publicly criicized Israel on a

hos o issues. Her public criicisms led o a significan deerioraion in relaions,

and an unproducive working relaionship.

Clinon is proud ha she became he “designaed yeller” or Israel


5/17

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CLINTON:

“And I was ofen he designaed yeller. Somehing

would happen, a new setlemen announcemen would

come and I would call him up, wha are you doing?

You’ve go o sop his.”

( CNN’S “FAREED ZAKARIA GPS,” 7/27/14 )

In Her Book, Hard Choices, Clinon reerred o Gaza and he Wes Bank as

“occupied erriories” wice.

In a 2012 speech, Clinon blamed Israel or “missed opporuniies,” a “lack o

generosiy,” and a “lack o empahy.” Clinon lecured Israelis ha “here is more”

ha hey need o do o “really demonsrae ha hey do undersand he pain o

oppressed people in heir minds.”

CLINTON:

“So, look, I’m no making excuses or he missed

opporuniies o he Israelis, or he lack o generosiy,

he lack o empahy ha I hink goes hand-in-hand

wih he suspicion.”

( HILLARY CLINTON, REMARKS AT THE SABAN CENTER FOR MIDDLE EAST POLICY

2012 SABAN FORUM OPENING GALA DINNER, WASHINGTON, D.C., 11/30/12 )

In 2011, Clinon played a role in shifing U.S. policy on Israeli border negoiaions

one day beore Prime Miniser Neanyahu’s arrival, declaring ha prevailing

borders beore he 1967 Arab-Israeli war should be he basis o a peace agreemen.

The Israeli governmen proesed saying ha Obama and Clinon’s sance would

make Israel “indeensible.” Despie Mr. Neanyahu airing his concerns o Clinon on

he day beore Presiden Obama’s announcemen, he policy shif wen orward.


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CLINTON’S “FERVOR” ON SETTLEMENTS

Clinon criicized setlemen aciviy “wih a ervor ha surprised Mr. Obama’s

advisers.” Clinon spen 43 minues vening U.S. rusraion

“Mrs. Clinon’s marching orders rom he Whie House

were o demand ha Israel cease he building o

Jewish setlemens in he Wes Bank as a way o lure

he Palesinians ino alks, and she did so wih a ervor

ha surprised Mr. Obama’s advisers.”

( MARK LANDLER AND AMY CHOZICK, “HILLARY CLINTON STRUGGLES TO

DEFINE A LEGACY IN PROGRESS,” THE NEW YORK TIMES, 4/16/14 )

Her erven condemnaion o setlemens led o “one o he wors U.S.-Israeli euds

in memory” and he posponemen o a U.S. envoy rip inended o relaunch Israel-

Palesine peace alks.

Israeli Ambassador o he U.S. Michael Oren called he “public figh” oversetlemen consrucion he lowes poin in U.S.-Israeli relaions since he mid-

1970’s.

In a 2010 speech beore AIPAC, Clinon said Israeli setlemen aciviy undermined

rus beween he U.S. and Israel, and made he US role in he peace process

increasingly difficul.


7/17


8/17

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Clinton’s Anti-Israeli Adviser

As recen email releases have shown, while Clinon was Secreary o Sae she

ofen sough and received counsel rom Sidney Blumenhal, a ormer adviser rom

Clinon’s 2008 Presidenial campaign. Blumenhal ofen encouraged Clinon o

ake a harder line wih Israel, a one poin suggesing ha he “rio ac” be read o

he Israeli leadership.

Blumenhal “weighed in reely” on oreign affairs and “served as an inormer on

domesic poliics.”

In Augus 2010, Blumenhal emailed Clinon advising her no o “allow” Prime

Miniser Neanyahu o se erms, “here are already erms”(Sidney Blumenhal,

Email To Hillary Clinon, 8/23/10, Sae Deparmen Release, 8/31/15, p.100)


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During he Gaza floilla crisis in 2010, Sid Blumenhal suggesed o Clinon ha he

adminisraion needed o “read he rio ac o he Israelis” so ha Clinon wasn’

“in he business o reinorcing Israeli propaganda on he inciden.” Blumenhal

advocaed ha Vice Presiden Biden summon hen Israeli Ambassador Michael

Oren and “subjec him o he ull-dress Biden reamen.” (Sidney BlumenhalE-mail o Hillary Clinon, 6/1/10, Sae Deparmen Release, 2/26/16)


10/17

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CLINTON’S DIVIDED STANCE ON AN UNDIVIDED JERUSALEM

As Secreary o Sae, Clinon “backracked” on her 2007 pledge ha Jerusalem

would be he undivided capial o Israel and was no he “acive advocae” she had

vowed o be while campaigning.

“Despie her hree-year-old promise during her

unsuccessul campaign o win he Democraic pary

nominaion o run or presiden, she did no give a

direc answer o a quesion Friday concerning her

sand on he ‘undivided capial.’”

( TZVI BEN GEDALYAHU, “CLINTON SIDESTEPS HER ‘UNITED JERUSALEM’

PLEDGE,” ISRAEL NATIONAL NEWS, 9/5/10 )


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During her appearance a an AIPAC summi in 2010, Clinon saed ha he final

saus o Jerusalem “is an issue o be setled a he negoiaing able,” leaving he

door open or a divided ciy.

Bu when Clinon was couring he pro-Israel voe while campaigning or Presiden

in 2007 she promised, in a posiion paper, o keep Jerusalem as he undivided

capial o Israel.

“Clinon, he U.S. senaor rom New York and

ronrunner or he Democraic presidenial nominaion

‘believes ha Israel’s righ o exis in saey as a Jewish

sae, wih deensible borders and an undivided Jerusalem as is capial, secure rom violence and

errorism, mus never be quesioned.”

( RON KAMPEAS, “CLINTON: UNDIVIDED JERUSALEM,” JEWISH TELEGRAPH

AGENCY, 9/12/07 )

Clinon, as a candidae or Senaor rom New York in 1999, wroe a leter in whichshe porrayed hersel as an “acive advocae” or moving he U.S. embassy o

Jerusalem. This move would signal, she saed, ha Jerusalem is he “eernal and

indivisible capial o Israel.”

Clinon’s saemen was “a radical break” rom her husband’s adminisraion policy,

and “criics wondered how she could say his and also have called earlier or

he esablishmen o an independen Palesinian homeland.” (Josh Gelin, “Mrs.

Clinon Tries To Go Naive In N.Y.,” Los Angeles Times, 8/15/99)


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SECURITY PARTNERSHIP?

Clinon’s campaign rheoric ofen emphasizes deending Israel rom he

Iranian nuclear hrea and enhancing securiy cooperaion, bu during her pos

as Secreary o Sae, Clinon inenionally lef Israel ou o several securiycooperaion summis where Israeli cooperaion would have been naural and

expeced.

In 2012, Israel was lef ou o The Global Counererrorism Forum, a worldwide

orum o comba errorism.

“Las week, Secreary o Sae Hillary Clinon raveled

o Isanbul o convene a new worldwide orum ocounries o share ino and help inegrae effors o

figh errorism — bu Israel wasn’ invied.”

( JOSH ROGIN, “WHY DID THE U.S. EXCLUDE ISRAEL FROM THE NEW

COUNTERTERRORISM FORUM,” FOREIGN POLICY’S THE CABLE, 6/12/12 )

During her opening remarks o he orum, Clinon ramed he errorism challengeas a common global cause, and emphasized he need o coordinae effors and

esablish an inegraed long-erm sraegy o figh erroris ideology and sources

o unding. However she ailed o menion Israel.

Clinon’s Sae Deparmen could no give a reason or he omission, bu i seems

o have deerred o he wishes o Turkey, who hosed he U.S.-sponsored even.

Also in 2012, Israel was inenionally no invied o atend a NATO Summi, even

hough i is a NATO Parner Counry. According o he Secreary General, Israel waslef ou because i “does no paricipae in NATO’s main miliary missions.”

The Ani-Deamaion League’s Naional Direcor, Abe Foxman, wroe a leter o

Secreary Clinon proesing Israel’s exclusion rom he summi.


13/17

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THE ANTIDE FAMATION LEAGUE’S NATIONAL DIRECTOR,

ABE FOXMAN: “

We respecully urge you, Madam Secreary, o find a

way o enable Israel’s paricipaion in he upcoming

NATO summi so ha Turkey’s poliical dispue wih

Israel does no derac rom he ineress o he U.S.,

NATO, Israel, or he oher paricipans in he Chicago

summi.”

( ANTIDEFAMATION LEAGUE NATIONAL DIRECTOR ABE FOXMAN, LETTER TO

SECRETARY HILLARY CLINTON, 5/3/12 )

Regardless o whaever Secreary Clinon’s effors were, Israel did no paricipae

in he summi.


14/17

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CLINTON AND THE IRAN DEAL

As a Senaor rom New York, Clinon unequivocally backed Israel agains a nuclear

Iran and saed ha he Unied Saes would “oally oblierae” Iran i Tehran

atacked Israel. “We canno ake any opion off he able” she saed ha Iran “musno” be permited o “build or acquire nuclear weapons.”

Bu when she had an opporuniy o deend Israel, she ailed o sand up. As

Secreary o Sae in 2009, afer Iran called Israel a racis naion during a speech a

he Human Righs Council, Clinon’s Sae Deparmen dismissed he seriousness

o he rheoric and saed ha i did no preclude he U.S. rom engaging in “direc

diplomacy” wih Iran over is nuclear program.

As a Presidenial candidae in 2016, Hillary Clinon has no only supporedPresiden Obama’s nuclear deal wih Iran, bu has also oued her work as being a

“par o he coaliion” during her ime as Secreary o Sae ha evenually resuled

in he signing o he agreemen.

CLINTON:

“Well, I’m very proud o he Iran Nuclear Agreemen.

I was very pleased o be par o wha he presiden

pu ino acion when he ook office. I was responsible

or geting hose sancions imposed which pu he

pressure on Iran. I brough hem o he negoiaing

able which resuled in his agreemen.”

( HILLARY CLINTON, DEMOCRAT PRIMARY DEBATE, CHARLESTON, SC, 1/17/16 )

“Supporers, criics and expers agree: Clinon’s fingerprins are all over he

nuclear agreemen brokered more han wo years afer she lef he Sae

Deparmen.” (Jeremy Diamond, “Hillary Clinon Can’ Escape Iran Deal In

Presidenial Run,” CNN, 7/28/15)


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The condiions or a good agreemen wih Iran, however, were no me. No only

did he Obama adminisraion concede on “anyime, anywhere” inspecions, bu i

ailed o address he criical issues o Iran’s ballisic missile capabiliy and suppor

or errorism.

A he end o he day, he agreemen does no acually solve any o he problems

ha Iran’s nuclear program poses, only pospones he dae when he world mus

more direcly cope wih a nuclear Iran.

Expers and ediorial boards have widely criicized he deal ha Clinon helped

iniiae.

COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS’ RICHARD HAASS:

“The agreemen does no in any way resolve he

problems posed by Iran’s acual or poenial nuclear

capabiliies. And indeed, many o hese problems grow

significanly worse as we come ou o 10 or 15 years.”

( COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES, U.S. SENATE, HEARING, 8/4/15 )

WOODROW WILSON SCHOLAR AARON MILLER:

“The painul and inconvenien ruh is ha even beore

he agreemen Iran was a nuclear weapons hreshold

sae. The agreemen will no change ha realiy.

And i will leave Iran wih a sufficienly large nuclear

oundaion o give i he capaciy o pursue nuclear

weapons down he road should i choose o do so.”

( AARON DAVID MILLER, OPED, “IRAN’S WINWIN…WIN WIN WIN NUKE DEAL,”

THE DAILY BEAST, 7/20/15 )


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“Tehran’s Nuclear Triumph”

( EDITORIAL, “TEHRAN’S NUCLEAR TRIUMPH,” THE WALL STREET JOURNAL,

7/14/15 )

Earlier his year John Kerry admited ha some o he over $100 billion in sancions

relie ha Iran secured wih he implemenaion o he deal will end up in he hands

o erroriss.

KERRY:

“I hink ha some o i will end up in he hands ohe IRGC or oher eniies, some o which are labeled

erroriss.”

( CNBC’S “SQUAWK BOX,” 1/21/16 )

Despie all o hese developmens, Clinon coninues o suppor he deal she

helped orchesrae. Her unwillingness o admi ha he flaws in her deal haveempowered Iran, even in he ace o Iranian missile ess marked wih he

phrase “Israel mus be wiped ou,” means ha she canno be rused o conron

coninued Iranian aggression.


17/17


NO DAYLIGHT? ONLY IF IT I S POLITICALLY EXPEDIENT

Since leaving her pos as Secreary o Sae and beginning her 2016 Presidenial

bid, Clinon has once again begun o demonsrae ha here is “no dayligh”

beween Israel and hersel.

Jeffry Goldberg o The Alanic has noed he significan shif in one.

“Much o my conversaion wih Clinon ocused on

he Gaza war. She offered a vocierous deense o

Israel, and o is prime miniser, Benjamin Neanyahu,

as well. This is noeworhy because, as secreary o sae, she spen a lo o ime yelling a Neanyahu on

he adminisraion’s behal over Israel’s Wes Bank

setlemen policy. Now, she is leaving no dayligh a all

beween he Israelis and hersel.”

( JEFFREY GOLDBERG, “HILLARY CLINTON: ‘FAILURE’ TO HELP SYRIAN REBELSLED TO THE RISE OF ISIS,” THE ATLANTIC, 8/10/14 )

As Clinon coninues o make he pich o he American people ha she is worhy

o leading one o he Unied Saes’ mos imporan bilaeral relaionships, her

record as Secreary o Sae calls ino quesion her commimen o mainaining

Israel’s securiy in an increasingly dangerous Middle Eas.

Documents

Hillary: No Friend of Israel