Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton on Thursday reaffirmed her commitment to stand up for Israel’s security and protect her from unfair efforts to delegitimize it.
“I will always – as I always have – stand up for Israel’s security, continue to work toward peace, and to try to do everything possible to protect Israel from the unwarranted and unfair efforts to delegitimize it,” Clinton said in a pre-High Holidays conference call with Jewish community leaders.
In her brief remarks, Clinton called for unity and respect of one another to tackle the challenges ahead. “We must continue to work together because we are strong together to keep the unbreakable bonds between the American and Israeli people,” Clinton said, echoing her campaign slogan ‘Stronger Together’. “I think about the times that we are in here in our country and it is very much reminiscent of the challenges we have faced and that others that have come before have faced as well. We do have to bring our country together. We have to overcome the divide that sets people; that pits people against each other. None of us alone can fix the problems we face. We need each other.”
The Democratic nominee promised to “model that” approach to unity and “work to achieve that as president.” Adding, “I try my best to live up to the responsibility described by the prophet Micah to ‘Do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with [y]our God?’ (Micah 6:8).”
Clinton concluded by wishing the Jewish community “the very happiest and healthiest of new years” and pronounced correctly “Shanah Tovah.”
“The message of repentance, prayer, and charity has always struck a chord with me. The High Holidays are a time to reflect on the past year, take a hard look at personal and collective priorities and ask ourselves how we can do better in the year ahead,” she added. “I hope this will be a good year, not only for you but for our country, where we do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God.”
Clinton was introduced on the call by Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, Executive Vice President of the Rabbinical Assembly.
On the conference call, Clinton also paid tribute to former Israeli president Shimon Peres, who will be laid to rest at Herzl Mount in Jerusalem on Friday in the presence of President Barack Obama and her husband, Bill Clinton.
“He has been a friend to my husband and me for many years, “Clinton said. “When he spoke it could be like listening to a psalm, and I loved sitting and listening to him whether it was about Israel, the nation he loved and did so much to defend, or about peace, or just about life itself.”
