In 2002, Ted Cruz was elected to serve as U.S. Senator of Texas despite having never before been elected to office. Since the election— described by the Washington Post as “the biggest upset of 2012…a true grassroots victory against very long odds”—Cruz has made a name for himself in Washington. Cruz recently returned from his third trip to Israel where he met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and reaffirmed America’s strong commitment to supporting its greatest ally in the Middle East. During this trip, Cruz stated, “The principle impediment to peace is that, to date, the Palestinians have refused to recognize Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state and have refused to renounce terror.” The Senator continued, “Unless and until the Palestinians can agree on those very basic starting blocks, no lasting peace solution is likely.”
Senator Cruz cosponsored legislation in support of Israel and against Iran’s nuclear weapons program, including The Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act (S.1881) and The U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership Act (S.462). In April, Cruz was counted among the panel of guest speakers at NORPAC’s Annual Mission to Washington as well.
One story he told illustrates the compassion he saw at a military hospital where “Israeli doctors are treating Syrians who have been gravely injured in the grotesque civil war that is raging in Syria.” Many Syrians waking up for the first time in an Israeli hospital reacted fearfully, Cruz recounted. An Israeli physician told Cruz about a Syrian woman who was in disbelief that the nation’s army she’d always been told was there to protect her was now attacking her and her family, and the nation’s army she’d always been told wants to kill her and was her “mortal enemy” was the only one helping her and her family. Since the civil war began, Israel has treated over one thousand Syrians, free of charge, in its hospitals. This, Cruz said, “was a powerful demonstration of the values behind the nation of Israel, of this humanitarian commitment.”
Cruz also believes the current negotiations with Iran regarding its development of nuclear weapons and strategic ballistic missiles are a “historic mistake,” and that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon is critical for maintaining Israel’s and America’s security and preventing a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. The Kirk-Menendez bill (S.1881), which NORPAC advocated for during its Mission and Cruz was an original cosponsored of, would help prevent Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
