DUNDEE, N.Y. – Hillary Clinton’s “close relationship” with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and his wife should worry New York’s Jewish voters, Senate candidate Rick Lazio charged yesterday.
“She obviously had a close relationship … with the Arafats,” Lazio, a Republican, told The Post in an exclusive interview aboard his “Mainstream Express” campaign bus. “You don’t pick who you negotiate with … but that doesn’t mean you have to be friends with them, to embrace them.”
That comment was a reference to Clinton’s politically disastrous visit to the West Bank last year, in which she hugged and kissed Arafat’s wife, Suha, who had just given a speech accusing the Israelis of poisoning Palestinian women and children.
Clinton later condemned Arafat’s remarks, but not before the incident turned into a campaign nightmare, hurting her standing with Jewish voters.
Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson responded, “New Yorkers know Hillary is a strong supporter of a safe and secure Israel at peace with its neighbors. It’s too bad that all Congressman Lazio can offer is recycled attacks.”
Lazio said he got an eyewitness view of Clinton’s coziness with the Arafats when he traveled with the Clintons to the Gaza Strip in late 1998 as a congressional representative.
In his first extensive interview on Israel since he jumped into the race, the four-term Suffolk County congressman – making an appeal to a key voting group that doesn’t yet know him well – also suggested Hillary Clinton was a Johnny-come-lately to the Israeli cause and said that should raise doubts with voters.
“I think people can rightfully ask about our records and who has shown an unwavering commitment to the state of Israel,” he said.
“New Yorkers who are pro-Israel – and there are an awful lot of us – need to look at what people say and do – not when they’re a candidate, but before that political spotlight is on them. What they’ve been doing the last eight years.”
Also in the interview, Lazio:
* Expressed serious reservations about the establishment of a Palestinian state, which Clinton supported before she became a candidate and now says should be decided at the negotiating table.
“I have to say I am concerned about the creation of a state, especially in the West Bank, where you have islands of [Palestinian] sovereignty surrounded by areas that may be under the control of Israel – whether or not that creates a kind of Balkan situation that isn’t sustainable.”
* Said Jerusalem should not be divided, should be recognized as the capital of the Jewish state, and should be the home of the U.S. embassy, which is in Tel Aviv – all positions shared by the first lady.
* Ducked whether clemency should be granted to Jonathan Pollard, an American serving a life term for spying for Israel.
Lazio said he expected to take a stand on the sensitive Pollard issue before Election Day.