Sen. Ted Cruz landed an immediate blow on GOP presidential rival Donald Trump, who spoke before him Monday at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference, for how the front-runner referred to the Palestinian people.
“Let me say at the outset, perhaps to the surprise of the previous speaker, Palestine has not existed since 1948,” Cruz said to lead off his speech in Washington.
{mosads}Trump repeatedly referred to the Palestinian people as “Palestine” during his remarks just minutes before Cruz.
Neither the United States nor Israel recognizes Palestine as a country, and some pro-Israel supporters believe that doing so takes sides against Israel in the struggle between the two peoples.
Trump used his speech to declare he supports moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a step he said would show there is “no daylight” between him and Israel. That’s a stance his other GOP rivals have long held, and they have previously criticized Trump for not agreeing with their position.
After Trump unveiled that policy decision during the AIPAC speech, Cruz attacked him.
“My leading Republican opponent has promised that he as president would be neutral between Israel and the Palestinians,” Cruz said.
“Let me be very, very clear, as president, I will not be neutral. America will stand unapologetically with the nation of Israel.”