White House hopefuls vow to be allies of Israel

WASHINGTON (AFP) - White House hopefuls on Thursday hailed their ties to Israel and vowed to stand by the Jewish state as the key US ally celebrated its 60th anniversary.

All three senators in the contest to succeed President George W. Bush in November's election appealed to voters, particularly the powerful Jewish-American voting bloc, by highlighting America's support for Israel.

"What I love about Israel is it is such a robust democracy and ... they are committed to principles like rule of law and civil rights and civil liberties," said Illinois Senator Barack Obama on CNN.

"So it is critical that we send a message around the world, we will stand with Israel, we want them around not just for 60 years but for 600 years and when I am president of the United States they will have an unwavering ally in me."

His Democratic rival, New York Senator Hillary Clinton, also applauded the Israeli people for building a "strong and vibrant democracy," but warned that despite "all that Israel has achieved, we know that the Jewish state is still not safe," according to a statement issued by her campaign.

"In every generation, Israel faces serious challenges to its security and threats to its existence," the former first lady said, adding that America and Israel are "united by shared values and strong bonds of friendship."

Clinton said that as president, she would "be proud to continue and strengthen these bonds, so that the State of Israel will continue to grow, from generation to generation, in security and peace."

The likely Republican nominee, Arizona Senator John McCain, said that "when president Harry Truman recognized the new state of Israel 60 years ago, he formalized a deep and enduring relationship between two great peoples.

"Challenges to Israel have perhaps been the norm, rather than the exception, and its people have been tested in the crucible of conflict time and again," he said in a statement.

"Let no one doubt that, while the challenges will continue, Israel will survive and it will flourish. There will always be an Israel, and there will always be a vital bond between our two peoples."

Bush is expected to join Israel's birthday celebrations next week during a Middle East tour.

Israel enjoys a stable economy on a par with most Western states, a powerful military, a booming high-tech sector and what is thought to be the region's sole if undisclosed nuclear arsenal.

Long-moribund peace talks with the Palestinians were revived at a US-hosted conference in November 2007 but have made little progress since then, and to this day neither Israel's capital nor its borders are universally recognized.

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