Trump: Israel’s security of ‘paramount importance’

Donald Trump praised Israel’s security as of “paramount importance” as he condemned Wednesday’s shootings in Tel Aviv as a “terrorist” attack.

{mosads}“I condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the outrageous terrorist shootings that took the lives of at least four innocent civilians and wounded at least twenty others in Tel Aviv yesterday,” the presumptive GOP presidential nominee said in a statement Thursday afternoon that was posted on his Facebook page.

“The American people stand strong with the people of Israel, who have suffered far too long from terrorism. Israel’s security is a matter of paramount importance to me and the American people,” he wrote.

“We must recognize the parallel horror of the culture of religious hatred that permeates many Palestinian quarters” in order to combat terrorism, Trump continued, citing schools that “indoctrinate toddlers to grow up to kill Israelis” and local news organizations that “spew” hate. 

The lengthy statement is indicative of Trump’s more calculated actions over the past few days. The post is about a third as long as Trump’s 700-word missive defending his assertion that a federal judge is biased against him because of his Mexican heritage, but the statement shows Trump working to blend his brash rhetoric with a stronger commitment to stick to the script.

The terror attack in a popular downtown market Wednesday left four dead.