Israel Matzav

Romney: 'I'll be the opposite of Obama'

Speaking via satellite, presumptive Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney told the Christian Evangelical Faith and Freedom Coalition conference in Washington DC that when it comes to Israel and Iran, his policies will be the opposite of those of the Obama administration (Hat Tip: Weasel Zippers via Bad Blue).

In hawkish remarks that drew cheers from an audience of religious conservatives, Mitt Romney accused President Obama on Saturday of being more afraid that Israel might attack Iran than that Iran will develop a nuclear weapon.

The Republican presidential candidate, who frequently attacks the administration for failing to back Israel’s government more aggressively, ratcheted up his criticism a notch. He responded with ridicule when asked what he would do, if elected, to strengthen U.S. relations with the Jewish state.

“I think, by and large, you can just look at the things the president has done and do the opposite,” Romney said, to laughter and applause from members of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, an evangelical Christian political organization.

"You look at his policies with regards to Iran," Romney continued. "He's almost sounded like he's more frightened that Israel might take military action than he's concerned that Iran might become nuclear."

Those words prompted prolonged applause and cheering from an audience of 250 in the ballroom of a Washington hotel. Romney addressed the group via video hookup from an outdoor site in Pennsylvania, his customized campaign bus parked prominently in the background, during the second day of a six-state swing.

Romney said that, as president, he would "forge a strong working relationship with the leadership in Israel. I would make it very clear that for us, as well as for them, it is unacceptable for Iran to become a nuclear nation and that we're prepared to take any and all action to keep that from happening," applause drowning out his next line.

If he were in office now, Romney said he would be encouraging countries in the region, such as Turkey and Saudi Arabia, to arm "the insurgents" in Syria's civil war.

"But perhaps overarching is this: I would not want to show a dime's worth of distance between ourselves and our allies like Israel. If we have disagreements, you know, we can talk about them behind closed doors. But to the world, you show that we're locked arm-in-arm," he said.

If Romney backs up this talk come January, we could be a heck of a lot better off than we are today.

Labels: Campaign 2012, Mitt Romney, US-Israel relationship

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:53 AM