Netanyahu Meets with Trump, Clinton in New York

JERUSALEM, Israel – Ahead of the first debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton Monday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with both presidential hopefuls in New York Sunday.

Israeli leaders are generally careful not to back one candidate or the other in presidential elections since they have no say in the matter and will have to work with whomever the American people elect.

Still it is telling that both Trump and Clinton met with Netanyahu and very few other international leaders on the sidelines of the annual U.N. General Assembly.

The first meeting took place in the morning at Trump's New York residence. His son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and Israeli U.N. Ambassador Ron Dermer took part in the meeting, which lasted more than an hour.

Israel's security and its efforts to achieve stability and peace in the Middle East included discussions on the nuclear deal with Iran, the battle against ISIS and other Islamic terror groups, missile defense cooperation and regional security concerns.

Trump acknowledged Israel as a vital partner in the war against Islamic terrorism, saying that under his administration, the two countries would work closely in missile defense and intelligence, and technological, military and strategic cooperation.

They also talked about how Israel's security fences have helped secure its borders, which Trump would like to see on the U.S. border with Mexico to prevent illegal immigration.

The two men also talked about Israel's hi-tech and bio-tech advances and its cyber defense program.

Netanyahu said Israel wants a lasting peace with its neighbors, but it will only come when the Palestinian Authority stops inciting to violence and accepts Israel's right to exist as the Jewish homeland.

Trump said he would support moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem in affirmation of its historical place as the eternal undivided capital of the Jewish state.

Sunday evening, Netanyahu, Ambassador Ron Dermer, and senior policy adviser Jake Sullivan met with Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton for close to an hour at a hotel.

Clinton affirmed her opposition to imposing a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including at the U.N. Security Council, and said she would oppose attempts to delegitimize Israel, such as the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

Netanyahu thanked both candidates for their friendship and support for Israel.