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Israel for Trump? GOP launches campaign on foreign soil

Campaign is first of its kind
Posted at 7:10 AM, Aug 15, 2016
and last updated 2016-08-15 08:10:05-04

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Republican Party has launched its first ever election campaign in Israel, trying to convince skeptical American-Israeli dual citizens to cast their votes for Donald Trump.

GOP activists were campaigning on Monday in Israeli cities with a high concentration of Americans, such as Jerusalem, Modiin and Raanana, handing out stickers and buttons with the slogan "Trump — in Israel's interest" in Hebrew and English.

Marc Zell, co-chairman of Republicans Overseas Israel, says about 100,000 Israelis voted in the last presidential election, with some 85 percent going Republican.

But Trump remains a controversial candidate in Israel despite an overall pro-Israel stance. He has suggested in the past that he would be more "neutral" regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He's also been accused of failing to stamp out anti-Semitic rhetoric among his supporters.