Netanyahu doesn’t agree with Donald Trump on Muslims. Illustrative. Netanyahu. Photo Courtesy of UN-Photo/Marco Castro
US Presidential candidate Donald Trump has published on his website a controversial plan for dealing with Islamic terrorism by preventing all Muslims from entering the United States—and that’s getting attention from one of the nations that has faced decades of Islamic terror. Despite dealing with a recent surge in terrorism from radical Muslims, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came out against Trump’s proposal by citing the right to religious freedom.
Netanyahu’s office said in a statement the Israeli leader “rejects Donald Trump’s recent remarks about Muslims. The State of Israel respects all religions and strictly guarantees the rights of all its citizens. At the same time, Israel is fighting against militant Islam that targets Muslims, Christians and Jews alike and threatens the entire world.”
Israel is home to long-standing populations to the three major religions—Islam, Christianity, and Judaism—and seeks to protect the holy sites of each of them. The nation is also home to practitioners of other religious beliefs as well.
Trump, meanwhile, based his ban on Muslims on hate from extremists. “Where this hatred comes from and why we will have to determine,” said Trump in a statement on his website. “Until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the dangerous threat it poses, our country cannot be the victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in Jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life.”
Netanyahu wasn’t the only one that thought Trump’s answer to the violence went too far. Another US Presidential candidate challenging Trump, Marco Rubio, said this on Twitter: “I disagree with Donald Trump’s latest proposal. His habit of making offensive and outlandish statements will not bring Americans together.”
Netanyahu’s comments challenging Trump’s statement come as the two men are on the calendar to hold an upcoming meeting. Netanyahu’s statement made it clear that does not signal he is backing Trump, or any other candidate.
Netanyahu “decided earlier this year on a uniform policy to agree to meet with all presidential candidates from either party who visit Israel and ask for a meeting,” said the statement. “This policy does not represent an endorsement of any candidate or his or her views. Rather, it is an expression of the importance that Prime Minister Netanyahu attributes to the strong alliance between Israel and the United States.”
(By Joshua Spurlock, www.themideastupdate.com, December 9, 2015)