Howard and Debbie Jonas, together with NORPAC, hosted an event in Riverdale for Senator Marco Rubio’s presidential campaign last week. Marco Rubio has served as a US Senator representing the State of Florida since 2011. During his time in Congress, he has been a staunch supporter of Israel, consistently showing his dedication to the US-Israel relationship. Now running for the Republican nomination for president, Rubio has promised to take multiple steps to strengthen this relationship, including increasing joint military cooperation and allocating further defense funds for Israel.

At the event, Rubio told the crowd of over 100 supporters that Israel is incredibly important to him as it is the only pro-American and free-enterprise country in the Middle East. Therefore, it is in America’s national security interest to protect Israel. In addition, Rubio explained that he feels a moral obligation to Israel, as its existence ensures that Jews will never again have to face the threat of extermination.

Regarding the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran, Rubio expressed his strong opposition to the deal. He stated that Iran’s nuclear program is an existential threat to both the US and Israel, and the JCPOA will not prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Rubio is also concerned that the money Iran will receive now from foreign reserves will be used to fund terrorism to kill Americans and Jews. Rubio promised that, if elected president, he will cancel the JCPOA on his first day in office.