Itongadol.-The very mention of Israel at Hillary Clinton\’s initial campaign events for president was controversial amongst her aides, who feared it might stir unwanted controversy with her party base, according to internal correspondence released by Wikileaks.
The e-mails, which the Clinton campaign has not confirmed as authentic, featured an exchange between one of Clinton\’s top foreign policy advisers, Jake Sullivan, and Robby Mook, her campaign manager, over the wisdom of raising her support for Israel at public events. Sullivan suggested she raise her commitment to Israel to show voters that she is "standing up for our allies and our values."
Mook disagreed. "We shouldn\’t have Israel at public events. Especially dem activists," he wrote.
The campaign manager suggested that Clinton save her Israel references for private events with donors– a less fervently liberal support group, and one more interested in foreign policy. "The only voters elevating [foreign policy] at all are Republican primary voters," said another consultant involved in the deliberations.
The discussion, held in May of 2015, preceded a turbulent primary campaign that featured a greater challenge than Clinton\’s camp expected from her left. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, a democratic socialist who ultimately won 43% of the vote, fought throughout their battle for a new approach to America\’s alliance with Israel and for "balance" on the Palestinian issue in the Democratic Party platform.
The platform ultimately reflected Clinton\’s position, reinforcing US support for a secure, democratic Jewish state of Israel alongside a sovereign Palestinian state living in peace and with dignity.