In exclusive interviews with Israel Hayom, the five leading Republican presidential candidates, who criticize President Obama's policy toward Israel, express strong support for its "greatest ally" and say they intend to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.Las Vegas may thrive on bets and odds, but it's hard to guess who is going to be the next president of the United States, even in this city, which hosted a mid-week debate between the seven Republican contenders for the party's nomination, who didn't hesitate to fight each other head on. However, in the U.S. today, more and more people are betting that Barack Obama is going to be a one-term president.
According to recent polls, more and more Americans said they disapprove of Obama’s job performance and a growing percentage say he does not deserve a second term in office. It's no surprise, then, that the Republican candidates have sharpened their swords: The White House seems within reach. The only subject that the candidates seemed to wholeheartedly agree on is their enthusiastic support for Israel.
During the course of Israel Hayom's interviews with the five leading Republican presidential candidates, it was remarkable to witness their disappointment in President Obama's policy toward Israel, and also in Iran, as well as their willingness to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem - a move that multiple U.S. administrations have postponed.
"I intend to see our diplomats stationed in Israel working in Jerusalem," Texas Governor Rick Perry told me. Representative Michele Bachmann (R.-Mn.) also commented on the embassy issue, saying, "I don't understand how this has not yet happened. This is the first thing I plan to do when I enter the White House."
Newt Gingrich, former speaker of the House, who came off as the "responsible adult" during the debate, also told Israel Hayom that Washington is disrespecting Israel's sovereignty by not relocating the embassy to Jerusalem.
Presidential hopeful Herman Cain also expressed his support for Israel, recently saying, "My message for the U.N., Iran, Palestinians and anyone else is this: 'If you mess with Israel, you’re messing with the U.S.A.'”
Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, the Republican frontrunner in the polls (with 30%), has criticized Obama's policies toward Israel and vowed to work with the Israeli government to discuss its interests and act accordingly. "I will begin discussions with Israel to increase the level of our military assistance and coordination," Romney said. "I will again reiterate that Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon is unacceptable."
The Republican contenders arrived in Las Vegas on Tuesday night with the knowledge that Obama's support has weakened, but also knowing that 67% of Republican voters said they could change their mind about which candidate they think would stand the best chance against the Democratic incumbent. Only 33% said their minds are made up, despite the presidential election being a year away.
Ronald Reagan, the GOP's legendary former president, coined what Republicans call the 11th Commandment: “Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican." However, the current crop of contenders seems to have forgotten this piece of advice.
Perry (who currently has 13% support) sought to confront Romney and attacked him on the issue of immigration, accusing him of hiring an undocumented worker. In general, the subject of illegal immigration, along with Herman Cain's 9-9-9 taxation plan, were the debate's hot topics.
While foreign policy and defense issues are expected to come up at the Republican debate scheduled for November, Israel was mentioned twice during this week's debate. The first mention came when candidates were asked about freeing terrorists in exchange for hostages, something the U.S. refuses to negotiate over.
Addressing the deal that freed 1,027 Palestinian security prisoners for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, Cain said he was certain that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu weighed numerous factors before approving the deal, but refused to say whether he thought Netanyahu made the right decision.
An audience member asked if the U.S. should continue distributing international aid considering the country's economic crisis. Representative Ron Paul (R.-Tex.) called for cutting all foreign aid "fairly and equally," even to Israel. Other candidates opposed such a move. "Israel is our greatest ally," Bachmann said, garnering applause. “The biggest problem with this administration and foreign policy is that President Obama is the first president since Israel declared her sovereignty who put daylight between the United States and Israel. That’s heavily contributed to the current hostilities that we see in the Middle East region," she added.
The Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary, two of the most important electoral events in the U.S. presidential election process, are both currently scheduled for January. They mark the starting gun for the 2012 election, and as far as the candidates are concerned, they will likely determine who will clinch the party's nomination.
