Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) argues that the lack of a White House presence at the Paris march Sunday was not only symbolic of the lack of American leadership to confront radical Islam, it was also dangerous.
“Many of our allies gathered together in Paris yesterday in an admirable display of determination,” Cruz writes in an op-ed for Time magazine. “Our President should have been there, because we must never hesitate to stand with our allies. We should never hesitate to speak the truth. In Paris or anywhere else in the world.”
President Obama did not attend Sunday’s Paris rally, which featured dozens of world leaders including British Prime Minister David Cameron, Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
The United States was represented by U.S. Ambassador to France Jane Hartley.
According to the Texas Republican, the White House should have had more representation at the rally.
“The absence is symbolic of the lack of American leadership on the world stage, and it is dangerous,” Cruz wrote.
“The attack on Paris, just like previous assaults on Israel and other allies, is an attack on our shared values,” he added. “And, we are stronger when we stand together, as French President François Hollande said, for ‘liberty, equality, and fraternity.’”
Obama has been under fire for failing to attend the rally in Paris.
Cruz argued that just in the last year the world has gotten more dangerous for Westerners. He highlights many recent Islamic terror attacks on free societies including Canada, Australia, Israel and the United States and the beheadings of Western journalists and aid workers.
“The scourge of radical Islamic terrorism is the exclusive fault of those who launch the attacks,” he stressed. “We must, as Americans, demand that our nation summon the will to stand up and lead the effort.”
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