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In Jerusalem, Romney Delivers Strong Defense of Israel - NYTimes.com
JERUSALEM Mitt Romney said Sunday that preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear capabilities would be his highest national security priority if elected president, in a speech that emphasized the shared values and interests he sees between Israel and the United States but which offered few specifics about the policies he would implement to pursue them.
We have a solemn duty and a moral imperative to deny Irans leaders the means to follow through on their malevolent intentions, Mr. Romney, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, told an audience of about 300, including a large contingent of American donors who flew here for the speech. We must not delude ourselves into thinking that containment is an option.
Unlike the Obama administration, which generally speaks about stopping Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, Mr. Romney echoed the language of Israels leaders, who talk instead about blocking Tehran from even the capability to develop one. His top foreign policy aide, Dan Senor, also went beyond Mr. Obamas statements that all options should remain on the table and that Israel has the right to defend itself by suggesting Mr. Romney is ready to support a unilateral military strike by Israel.
If Israel has to take action on its own, Mr. Senor said before the speech, the governor would respect that decision.
The campaign, in the middle of a seven-day overseas tour that began in London and continues Monday in Poland, appeared throughout the day to be struggling with the delicate diplomacy required of a candidate abroad. After reports of Mr. Senors comments were published, he issued a new statement that did not mention unilateral action, and later he said he was not necessarily referring to a military strike. Mr. Romney himself stuck to his promise not to criticize President Obama on foreign soil, though his speech did include one vague shot at Democrats.
We cannot stand silent as those who seek to undermine Israel voice their criticisms, he said. And we certainly should not join in that criticism. Diplomatic distance in public between our nations emboldens Israels adversaries.
He also referred pointedly to Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, something Obama administration officials, in keeping with decades of official American policy, are unwilling to do because Palestinians also envision the city as the future capital of their hoped-for state. The line drew a standing ovation from some in the crowd.
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JERUSALEM Mitt Romney said Sunday that preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear capabilities would be his highest national security priority if elected president, in a speech that emphasized the shared values and interests he sees between Israel and the United States but which offered few specifics about the policies he would implement to pursue them.
We have a solemn duty and a moral imperative to deny Irans leaders the means to follow through on their malevolent intentions, Mr. Romney, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, told an audience of about 300, including a large contingent of American donors who flew here for the speech. We must not delude ourselves into thinking that containment is an option.
Unlike the Obama administration, which generally speaks about stopping Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, Mr. Romney echoed the language of Israels leaders, who talk instead about blocking Tehran from even the capability to develop one. His top foreign policy aide, Dan Senor, also went beyond Mr. Obamas statements that all options should remain on the table and that Israel has the right to defend itself by suggesting Mr. Romney is ready to support a unilateral military strike by Israel.
If Israel has to take action on its own, Mr. Senor said before the speech, the governor would respect that decision.
The campaign, in the middle of a seven-day overseas tour that began in London and continues Monday in Poland, appeared throughout the day to be struggling with the delicate diplomacy required of a candidate abroad. After reports of Mr. Senors comments were published, he issued a new statement that did not mention unilateral action, and later he said he was not necessarily referring to a military strike. Mr. Romney himself stuck to his promise not to criticize President Obama on foreign soil, though his speech did include one vague shot at Democrats.
We cannot stand silent as those who seek to undermine Israel voice their criticisms, he said. And we certainly should not join in that criticism. Diplomatic distance in public between our nations emboldens Israels adversaries.
He also referred pointedly to Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, something Obama administration officials, in keeping with decades of official American policy, are unwilling to do because Palestinians also envision the city as the future capital of their hoped-for state. The line drew a standing ovation from some in the crowd.
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