Clinton: Israel must choose between Abbas or ISIS

Hillary Clinton offered her analysis and forecast of the state of affairs between Israel and the Palestinians, which, to many, sounded over-simplistic, naive or simply ignores reality.  

By: AP and World Israel News Staff

Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton stated Israel had two choices – to make peace with the Palestinians led by Palestinian Authority (PA) head Mahmoud Abbas or to face a threat by the Islamic State (ISIS).

Addressing the Saban Forum on Sunday, Clinton said “the black flag” of the Islamic State group could be flying over the Palestinian territories if the Palestinian Authority and President Mahmoud Abbas fail to keep order.

The Democratic presidential candidate and former secretary of state claimed that a Palestinian leadership vacuum could provide an opening for ISIS to make inroads.

In Israel’s view, Abbas has essentially already joined forces with ISIS and poses a similar threat. Speaking in October, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Israelis have been “deliberately run over, shot, stabbed and hacked to death and, in large part, this is because President Abbas has joined ISIS and Hamas in claiming that Israel threatens the al-Aqsa mosque” on the Temple Mount.

Clinton also said that as president, she’d push Israelis and Palestinians toward a peace deal. But she acknowledges the difficulty of brokering a two-state solution.

She told a conference at the Brookings Institution in Washington that she understands “the frustration and the disappointment.” But she also says, “I don’t think you can give up on it.”

Several Israeli leaders have made multiple attempts at peace with the Palestinians and have made far-reaching concessions in the negotiations, including offering the Palestinians almost complete sovereignty in Jerusalem, but to no avail.

Clinton also promised to rebuild US-Israeli relations, which have grown chilly under President Barack Obama, whom she served under.

Clinton offered her rosy outlook on Middle East politics, and yet failed to mention the wave of Palestinian terror attacks Israel has been contending with for almost three months, nor did she condemn Abbas, Israel’s supposed partner in peace, and the Palestinian leadership for their dissemination of lies, incitement and libels against Israel, which has been the driving force behind the wave of terror which has claimed the lives of 21 victims.