Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heard strong expressions of support for Israel in the meetings he held with both leading candidates for US president in New York on Sunday.

In the first of the meetings, with Donald Trump, the Republican candidate promised the prime minister that "a Trump administration would finally accept the long-standing Congressional mandate to recognise Jerusalem as the undivided capital of the state of Israel". Mr Trump said under him as president, the cooperation between the two countries would be "extraordinary".

In the subsequent meeting with the Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton said she was opposed "to any attempt by outside parties to impose a solution" on Israel and the Palestinians. She spoke of her "unwavering commitment" to the ties between the two nations and said that as president, she would be active fighting boycotts against Israel.

Both meetings were held without any media present. Although dozens of heads of state have been in New York over the last 10 days for the UN General Assembly, the only other leader to meet both candidates was Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

It is not completely clear where the original initiative for holding the meetings came from.

On Wednesday, one of the prime minister's aides told the media that Mr Netanyahu had no meetings scheduled with either candidate, but he would be glad to meet them. Following this, the Trump campaign contacted the Prime Minister's Office to set up a meeting.

Concerned to show "balance" and not be seen to favour one or other of the candidates, a meeting was requested with Ms Clinton as well.

Mr Netanyahu was criticised in 2012 for seeming to endorse the Republican candidate Mitt Romney over President Barack Obama. This year, he has been extremely careful not to display any favouritism, saying in interviews over the weekend that whoever is elected, "Israel will have a friend in the White House". His office even issued identical statements following both meetings.