Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) said he believes energy independence from Middle East oil can aide U.S.-Israeli relations. In an Op-Ed in Thursday’s Forward, the Democratic presidential nominee endorsed Israel’s right to build its West Bank security fence and its plans to withdraw from the Gaza Strip. He also said energy independence is necessary to allow the United States to confront Saudi Arabia and its support for Islamic fundamentalists. “I want an America that relies on its own ingenuity and innovation and not the Saudi royal family,” Kerry wrote. Kerry said he would combat the rise of international anti-Semitism by creating a State Department office to deal with the issue and by increasing U.S. monitoring efforts. Kerry also wrote about stepping up efforts to deal with Iran and Syria, and said he would work with the United Nations to rebuild Iraq.
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