US election

As they say in America, all elections are local. So all the debates one will be hearing in the first few months will most likely focus on local issues that are important to average Americans.

In her first revelation since announcing last Sunday that she will be making a second attempt at the White House, Hillary Clinton revealed that her focus in the election campaign will be on economic security for the American middle class and expanding opportunities for working families.

She is described as a “tenacious fighter” who can get results and work with Congress, business and world leaders, assumedly the Middle East where her achievements, as secretary of state, were not particularly praise worthy, especially the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, now in its 67th year, and the occupation of the Palestinian territories since 1967.

Ynet, an Israeli news service, provided a long list of controversial positions she has taken on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Described as being at the “forefront of pro-Israel legislation” in the US Senate, Ynet underlined that during her years as first lady, senator and US secretary of state, Clinton had “countless meetings with Israeli leaders like Rabin, Peres, Barak, and [Prime Minister Benjamin]Netanyahu [under] her belt.”

She “understands Israel’s complex reality better than most contemporary American politicians — possibly better than her husband, Bill Clinton”, it said.

However, the news agency noted that there were “some controversial moments through her career which have cast doubt on the firmness of her position” towards Israel.

During a visit to Gaza in 1988, she kissed Souha Arafat, wife of the late Palestinian president Yasser Arafat, after hearing her “openly accuse Israel of fouling the drinking water supply for Palestinians with uranium”.

In 1999, when Clinton was running for the US Senate in New York, Ynet recalled: “She told Jewish leaders she considers Jerusalem ‘the eternal and indivisible capital’ of Israel — a statement she later partially backtracked — adding that she will advocate moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.”

However, in 2011 Clinton shifted her stance, “warning against American action towards recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, saying it would jeopardise the peace process”.

The embassy is still in Tel Aviv.

In 2012, she was quoted as saying: “Protecting Israel’s future is not simply a matter of policy for me, it’s personal. I know with all my heart how important it is that our relation goes from strength to strength. I am looking forward to returning to Israel as a private citizen on a commercial plane.”

Ynet said: “In 2013, the secretary of state delivered a stinging rebuke to Prime Minister Netanyahu for his government’s announcement of new Jewish housing in [Arab] East Jerusalem.”

In an interview with CNN, she explained that the move was “insulting” to the US.

“We have to make clear to our Israeli friends and partner that the two-state solution which we support, which the prime minister himself said he supports, requires confidence-building measures on both sides.”

Underlining the position of the US government, she was quoted as saying: “I am a strong supporter of Israel, strong supporter of their right to defend themselves. But the continuing settlements which have been denounced by successive American administrations on both sides of the aisle are clearly a terrible signal to send if at the same time you claim you’re looking for a two-state solution.”

In an interview with the Atlantic published last year, Clinton offered strong supporter for Israel and for Netanyahu, Ynet reported, after Israel drew international condemnation for the deaths of Palestinian non-combatants in Gaza and the destruction of thousands of houses during its 50-day war on Hamas.

The sorrowful situation in the Gaza Strip where about 1.7 million Palestinians live remains unattended by all governments.

It would be a good idea for the US to cut some of $3 billion it grants Israel annually and give it to the Palestinian people, a gesture that will be welcomed by all Palestinians and other Arabs.

Hopefully Clinton will not attempt to placate Israel during her election campaign. 

The writer is a Washington-based columnist.