WASHINGTON – U.S.
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and Democratic presidential
nominee Hillary Clinton both on Sunday met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu.

Trump relayed a message
that if elected, the United States would recognize Jerusalem as the capital of
Israel, the campaign said, marking a potential dramatic shift in U.S. policy.

During the meeting that
lasted more than an hour at Trump Tower in New York, Trump told Netanyahu that
under his administration, the United States would “recognize Jerusalem as
the undivided capital of the State of Israel.”

While Israel calls
Jerusalem its capital, few other countries accept that, including the United
States. Most nations maintain embassies in Tel Aviv.Palestinians want East
Jerusalem, captured by Israel in a 1967 war, as capital of the state they aim
to establish alongside Israel in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Netanyahu held a separate
meeting later on Sunday that lasted just under an hour with Clinton, Trump’s
rival in the Nov. 8 U.S. election.

Clinton emphasized her
commitment to the U.S.-Israel relationship and her plan to take the
relationship to the next level, according to a statement from her campaign.

She also talked about her
commitment to a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict
“that guarantees Israel’s future as a secure and democratic Jewish state
with recognized borders and provides the Palestinians with independence,
sovereignty, and dignity,” according to the statement.

“Secretary Clinton
reaffirmed her opposition to any attempt by outside parties to impose a
solution, including by the U.N. Security Council,” the statement said.

During the meeting with
Trump, the Republican candidate’s campaign said he agreed with Netanyahu that
peace in the Middle East could only be achieved when “the Palestinians
renounce hatred and violence and accept Israel as a Jewish State.”

The Trump campaign said
he and Netanyahu discussed “at length” Israel’s border fence, cited
by Trump in reference to his own controversial immigration policies, which
include building a wall on the U.S.- Mexico border and temporarily banning Muslims
from entering the country.

Other regional issues,
including the fight against Islamic State, U.S. military assistance to Israel –
“an excellent investment” – and the Iran nuclear deal, which both
parties have criticized, were also discussed.