Marco Rubio Plans Push on Israel as Florida Primary Looms

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By JTA March 10, 2016

Sen. Marco Rubio, in the fight of his political life to win his home state of Florida in the Republican presidential primaries, will take questions on his Israel policy at a Palm Beach synagogue.

On Thursday, a statement from the Rubio campaign said the candidate will be joined by Jewish and national security leaders at Temple Beth El in Palm Beach on Friday “to discuss his commitment to stand with Israel.”

Rubio, who trails front-runner Donald Trump in the polls in Florida, must win the state’s primary on Tuesday if he is to keep his presidential bid alive after suffering bad losses in a number of contests. He has been subjected to attacks by Trump, a billionaire real estate developer who maintains a second home in the state.

Rubio and other Republican rivals have taken Trump to task for saying he would be neutral in brokering Israeli-Palestinian peace.

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