Ted Cruz Suggests âNuking Israelâ During Interview
Itâs common for politicians to reverse their positions when faced with new tides in public opinion. But on Friday, Texas Senator and 2016 GOP Presidential hopeful Ted Cruz may have taken things too far â way too far â after suggesting the United States involve itself militarily in the Israel/ Palestine conflictâ¦ and that nuclear weapons should be âon the table.â âIsrael have proven themselves time and time again to be needlessly hostile,â Cruz said during an interview with Fox News Friday morning. âTheyâre the aggressors in this conflict, and to see Obama throwing all of this support Israelâs way, itâs sickening, really sickening. We shouldnât be throwing support at Israel. We should be throwing bullets.â Fox Newsâ Elisabeth Hasselbeck asked Cruz if he was suggesting a âphysical warâ with Israel, to which Cruz quickly answered affirmatively. âYes. Absolutely. They wonât sit down like grown-ups and discuss this rationally. I think war should be the last tool you reach for in the shed, but right now itâs looking like the only one. I think the only way weâre ever going to end this conflict is by nuking Israel. Maybe not literally, but, you know, everything should be on the table right now.â Later in the interview, Cruz had calmed down considerably. âI donât think weâve seen real diplomacy in action out of this administration. Obama just sits there with his hands between his knees, hoping itâll resolve itself. It wonât resolve itself. If Israel wants to be our ally, they should try acting like it, and that means giving up some things. And if they wonât discuss that, you know, rationally, then maybe itâs time for some sanctions.â Cruzâs shift toward supporting a Palestinian State is a sharp contrast from his statements earlier this week, in which he strongly supported Israel during a Christian event in the nationâs capital. But Cruz was heckled off the stage during that event, prompting many to speculate that Cruz is simply trying to follow popular political trends. âI donât think thereâs anything more to this than [Cruz] making a political move, because he thinks thatâs where his base is,â says White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest. âHe thought his crowd would be behind Israel. When he finds out they arenât, heâs suddenly pro-Palestine, maybe even pro-Hamas. Itâs all just posturing for 2016. I donât think heâd really nuke Israel or anything, or at least I hope he wouldnât.â