Rubio Pledges Israel Trip Would Be First Presidential Visit Abroad
Image by Getty Images
Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio said his first trip abroad if elected would be to Israel.
At a town hall meeting in Florida on Monday, Rubio was asked what his first foreign trip as president would be, Jewish Insider reported.
“Israel,” the Florida senator said to loud applause.
Fellow Republican candidate Jeb Bush refused to make the same pledge when asked in a recent Jewish Insider interview.
“I’ve been to Israel five times. I don’t have plans to visit there,” said Bush, a former Florida governor. “But what I’ve said is that on Day One, I would announce that the U.S. Embassy would move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.”
Mitt Romney also promised to visit Israel first while running for the Republican nomination in 2012.
“I will reaffirm as a vital national interest Israel’s existence as a Jewish state,” Romney said at the Republican Jewish Coalition’s Presidential Forum in December 2011, according to Jewish Insider.
I’m personally matching all gifts to the Forward, up to $36,000. Can I match your gift now?
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
