Manchester: US Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is standing by his criticism of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying Israel is "now run by a right- wing, dare I say, racist government."

Sanders said on Monday, US time, at a CNN town hall in New Hampshire that he believed the United States should try to bring people together and deal with the Middle East on a level-playing-field basis, "not just support one country".

The senator from Vermont said he was "not anti-Israel" but feels Netanyahu was "a right-wing politician" who was treating the Palestinian people "extremely unfairly."

Sanders then added that he was "100 per cent 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."

AP