Hillary Clinton on Israel
Hillary Clinton expresses consistent and vocal support for Israel and its right to security throughout her career, viewing the relationship as fundamentally important to the United States. She actively addresses contemporary conflicts, emphasizing the need to counter what she perceives as biased or inaccurate narratives about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, especially those circulated online.
Clinton has characterized the growing hostility toward Israel among younger Americans as a generational issue fueled by social media consumption, suggesting Israel has the "worst PR" in communicating its story effectively. She links this to a lack of historical context among young people regarding events like the rejection of the Clinton Parameters peace plan.
In the context of recent conflicts, Clinton has noted significant intelligence and leadership failures in Israel preceding the October 7th attack and has called for accountability, drawing a parallel to former Prime Minister Golda Meir after the Yom Kippur War. However, she asserts that such accountability discussions must wait until the current war ends.
Context
Hillary Clinton's position on Israel is shaped by her tenure as First Lady, Senator from New York, and Secretary of State, where she was directly involved in Middle East diplomacy. This history gives her statements significant weight within U.S. foreign policy discussions. Her proximity to the Clinton Parameters negotiations in the late 1990s/early 2000s forms a key part of her narrative regarding past peace prospects. Her long association with the region and strong, consistent support often place her firmly within the traditional Democratic Party consensus on the U.S.-Israel relationship, though she is noted for speaking out against certain critiques.
Timeline
- As First Lady and Senator, Hillary Clinton was involved in high-level diplomatic efforts, notably the Clinton Parameters peace plan.
- As a Senator, she backed resolutions that entrenched Israel's position, such as one opposing Palestinian 'Terrorism'.
- During an appearance on The View, she defended Israel's actions following the October 7th attack, noting that Hamas broke a prior ceasefire.
- Clinton addressed the negative perception of Israel among young people, blaming social media 'propaganda' and 'totally made up videos'.
Key Quotes
“There is a great deal of valid concern about how Israel is viewed, not just around the world, but from the United States, how Jewish Americans are viewed, and what is being seen as a significant increase in antisemitism in real life and online,”
“We have to do a better job of talking through the importance of supporting Israel and Israel's security in a way that crosses generations.”
“There is no doubt that there was a massive intelligence and leadership failure in Israel.”
Criticism
Clinton is criticized for blaming 'made up' social media videos for youth opposition to Israel's actions in Gaza, while allegedly ignoring Israel's own propaganda efforts.
The publication alleges Clinton has a history of actions that violate Palestinian rights and repress those who speak out for Palestinian rights.
Sources4
Hillary Clinton Sets the Israel-Gaza Record Straight on The View
* This is not an exhaustive list of sources.