The Difference Between Trump and Cruz on Israel

If you are both an Israel supporter and supporter of Donald Trump then you need to read this article.

While Ted Cruz and Donald Trump fight each other for the Republican nomination in July and while they are alike in many ways ideologically, there are some stark differences. One of those differences is of great concern for Jews and other supporters of the State of Israel.

The front runner Donald Trump has convinced many conservatives across the strata that he is the best choice for all matters American. While his domestic positions might carry some weight he has shown that on foreign policy he is drastically under educated.

Trump has been very lukewarm on his views toward Israel and the Middle East. Because he doesn’t really know the history of the conflict and only understands it from an international business standpoint, he takes a middle of the road non committal position with his ideas about a securing a two state solution saying he’s “neutral” on the conflict.

Middle of the road, or neutral positions, to supporters of Israel are a slap in the face to everything decent and ethical in a very unethical Middle East. There is no “neutral” in the Israel Palestine conflict. To say so, indicates a moral equivalency between Palestinian murderers and the State of Israel’s defense against those murderers. It is just indefensible for a candidate for President of the United States to hold such a position.

Ted Cruz on the other hand does not mince words when he discusses his support for Israel. He has stated that he will stand 100% behind the state of Israel as he moves forward as president. He emphatically demands that President Cruz will move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and establish American recognition of Jerusalem, the eternal capital of the Jewish people. He has also said that he would support any way he can Israel in removing the Iranian threat from the Middle East, understanding that he has a huge ally in Israel with a purposeful survival motive to take out the growing threat of war with Iran. He knows he can count on Israel for all matters pertaining to freedom, democracy, and forward advancement in the Middle East.

Trump has since backed off of his “neutral” comments about Israel and finding a solution, or in Trump’s vernacular “making a deal” on the conflict. He said he’s talked with some friends who have told him it’s impossible. You can’t make peace if one side will not negotiate in good faith.

How come he didn’t know that before he made that comment? Because Donald Trump is inexcusably ignorant on the history of that conflict and its unique connection to the American experience. He doesn’t deserve the vote from serious supporters of Israel.

If you want to see these candidates in action, Trump with his ideas on Israel and Cruz with his just search on youtube. There are numerous videos for both.

Ted Cruz knows who our friends and enemies are in that part of the world. Donald Trump knows we have enemies but doesn’t understand who they are. Perfectly reasonable if you do not stay up to date on all the murky, cross over, foggy bottom that is the Middle East. But, if you are running for President of the United States it is a prerequisite to study and know these more troubled parts of American foreign policy.

Ted Cruz knows this area and knew it long before he became involved in national politics. As Cuban refugees Cruz grew up with clear convictions on what it means to be forced out by totalitarian leaders. While he says it does not come close to the centuries of Jewish persecution culminating in the systematic genocide of the last century, his Cuban background does give him some insight into the injustice and powerlessness of exiled peoples.

Donald Trump suffers from the same ignorance as Barack Obama on the Middle East conflict. Jews and Arabs will never have peace as long as the Muslims in that part of the world teach their children to hate Jews and continually grown generations of murdering populations. Barack Obama has completely ignored this side of Palestinian “resistance.” Trump seems to be following suit with his comments.

There is no chance for peace. So, Donald Trump saying he is “neutral” shows he is either virulently anti Semitic or he doesn’t know what he’s doing. He is not an anti Semite.  He doesn’t hate Jews. He has Jewish lawyers, doctors, and his own son in law is Jew. He hob nobs with other New York Jewish billionaire rich, dinner parties, socializing and of course, business dealings. Trump’s problem is that he is just a blunderous boob when it comes to that part of the world.  There just isn’t any other way to state it. What we are left with is the man who wrote  “The Art of the Deal” which does not provide the tools to close a “deal”  between the Jews and Palestinians.

President Ted Cruz could actually make a difference in this conflict by supporting unquestionably Israel in this endeavor. With his leadership we could return to the Israeli dominance of the 1970s and 80s forcing  the retreat of the Soviet Union from the area and with it the  wars with the remaining belligerent states which then became a non-issue. With a Ted Cruz presidency the same now could be accomplished with rise of Sunni Jihadism and Shia Iran.

A Trump presidency would continue the Obama ignorance of this all important area of the world seriously plunging the Middle East conflict into more death and more war and leave Israel no other choice than to go it alone for the sake of its own survival.

If you are a Jew, a Christian, or a secular atheist who supports the State of Israel and Donald Trump you need to rethink that position. Do you want more of the same from the last eight years? War with Iran is coming. Jihadism is spreading throughout the Muslim world. We can be looking at a possible nuclear confrontation. Don’t allow that to happen. It isn’t too late. The Middle East will not be subdued today, tomorrow or next week, but with the right kind of leadership we can and will see a light at the end of the tunnel by the next presidential election cycle. Think about it. It’s the future of your children and grandchildren we’re talking about.

And, if you are a Democrat on these issues, you have more serious problems than we can solve here.