Marco Rubio focused his national security speech Thursday on President Obama, saying his administration has created a more dangerous world — particularly for Israel.
“We have a president who leaves our allies feeling betrayed and our adversaries feeling emboldened,” the first-term Florida senator told a forum sponsored by the Republican Jewish Coalition.
Rubio stressed policy toward Israel throughout his speech, saying that threats to it and the United States “have grown dramatically in recent months,” largely because Obama “has placed his own legacy ahead of our mutual security.”
The Obama administration has undercut Israel on items ranging from negotiations with the Palestinians to the nuclear agreement with Iran, Rubio said. He also criticized the United Nations on the issue.
His indictment included former Obama secretary of State — and possible 2016 Democratic presidential nominee — Hillary Clinton, saying their foreign policy has weakened Israel’s position.
“They call it engagement, but what it should really be called is abandonment,” Rubio said.
Rubio, the third Republican candidate to speak to the Republican Jewish Coalition, is moving up in some Republican polls. Some supporters see him as establishment alternative to the maverick front-runner, Donald Trump.
Like other candidates, such as Ted Cruz, Rubio won loud applause at the forum as he pledged to move the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. He vowed to “challenge the real impediments to peace in the Middle East” and to “stand up for Israel” as commander in chief.
“The days of giving the ayatollah of Iran more respect than the prime minister of Israel will be over,” Rubio said.
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