WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 (UPI) — Republican presidential hopefuls spoke at a forum held by the Republican Jewish Coalition, and candidates kept it candid.
Much of the focus at the presidential candidates’ forum was on Israel, the Iran nuclear deal and the Islamic State. However, some candidates did not waste opportunities to take stabs at their opponents.
Most candidates took aggressive positions at the Thursday forum. Leading the day was Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), who called Wednesday’s mass shooting in San Bernardino, Calif., possibly “yet another manifestation” of “radical Islamic terrorism.”
Authorities have not disclosed whether they suspect a specific motive in the shooting. Two suspects were killed Wednesday: Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik.
“I believe this nation needs a war-time president to defend it,” Cruz said to applause.
Cruz ended his speech saying: “If you vote for Hillary Clinton, you vote for the Ayatollah Khamenei to have a nuclear weapon. And if you vote for me, the Ayatollah will never have nuclear weapons.”
The proclamation was met with applause and cheers, along with claims that Cruz will repeal “every word” of Obamacare.
Up next at the podium was Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who departed from his prepared remarks to blast Cruz, along with Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Donald Trump.
“I believe Donald Trump is destroying the Republican Party’s chance at winning an election we cannot afford to lose,” he said. Graham’s remarks trended on Twitter mid-morning, as he called for GOP candidates to be more moderate on social issues.
“It’s not because of social issues that we will lose. It’s positions we take regarding social issues that can disconnect us from America at large,” he said. “If you’re going to tell a woman whose been raped that she has to carry the child of the rapist, you’re going to lose most Americans.”
Rubio followed Graham. Rubio’s speech dealt largely with protecting Israel’s interests. Rubio vowed that if elected, he would reverse the nuclear deal with Iran.
“The days of giving the Ayatollah of Iran more respect than the Prime Minister of Israel will be over on my first day of office,” said Rubio to a standing ovation.
Former New York Gov. George Pataki was next up at the podium. He echoed calls to roll back the Iran nuclear deal, and called Jerusalem the “eternal, undivided capitol of Israel.” He said that as a Roman Catholic, anti-Semitism troubled him “enormously.”
The candidate’s campaign has been somewhat quiet, but he ended his speech with a Hebrew phrase that drew him thunderous applause.
Ohio Gov. John Kasich was up next. Kasich has long positioned himself as a friend to Jews and to Israel, and told a personal anecdote about talking with Natan Sharansky, the Soviet dissident who now chairs the Jewish Agency for Israel. The story was well-received by the audience.
Next was Donald Trump, who received a standing ovation from about half the audience. Upon taking the podium, Trump joked: “You just like me because my daughter happens to be Jewish.”
Trump went on to berate the Obama administration’s foreign policy.
“Obama is the worst thing to happen to Israel,” he told the crowd.
Later, Trump told audience members: “I would love your support, but I don’t want your money.”
Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson took the stage next, praising Israel as a good example of equal rights for women in the region. Carson looked down for much of his speech, reading his remarks from a piece of paper. His talk focused mostly on the history of Israel.
USA Today reports The Republican Jewish Coalition has more than 40,000 members in 45 chapters across the nation.
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