MANCHESTER, N.H. — Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is standing by his criticism of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying the U.S. goal in the Middle East must be to try to bring people together and “not just support one country, which is now run by a right-wing, dare I say, racist government.”

Sanders said Monday at a CNN town hall in New Hampshire that he believes the United States should “deal with the Middle East on a level-playing-field basis.”

The senator from Vermont says he is “not anti-Israel” but feels Netanyahu is “a right-wing politician” who is treating the Palestinian people “extremely unfairly.”

Sanders then added that he is “100% pro-Israel” and that the country has “every right in the world to exist and to exist in peace and security and not be subjected to terrorists’ attacks.”