Texas Senator Ted Cruz secured the support not only of evangelical Christians but also of Jewish leaders ahead of Super Tuesday, the electoral event in various states across America that could make or break the fortunes of the five remaining candidates for the Republican presidential nomination.
Last week, Dr. Ben Chouake, national president of NORPAC, America's largest pro-Israel political action committee, endorsed Cruz for president, Charisma News reported.
More Jewish leaders endorsed Cruz over the weekend, raising his number of influential Jewish political supporters to more than three dozen, according to the senator's campaign.
"Since the day we announced our campaign, we have been honoured to see tremendous support from the Jewish community." Cruz said.
He again emphasised his commitment to Israel and the Jewish people, which he said began long before he became a senator and a presidential candidate. "It began with the experience my father had as a refugee fleeing oppression in Cuba to come to this country," he said.
Cruz vowed that as president, "I will stand unapologetically with Israel, prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons" and "move the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem" among other executive actions.
Rabbi Zev Reichman, spiritual leader of the East Hill Synagogue in Englewood, New Jersey, and director at Yeshiva University, expressed his unequivocal support for the Texas senator. "Ted Cruz has impressed me with his deep respect for people of faith, his dedication to protecting the U.S. homeland, and his unflinching support for America's greatest ally in the Middle East, the nation of Israel," he said.
Reichman said Cruz offers the best hope for survival not only of the Jewish nation but of the West as well. "America and the West face an existential threat to our way of life from radical Islamic terrorists. Cruz has been a leader in identifying this threat and boldly taking action to protect American lives," he said. "Ted has demonstrated foresight, understanding and good judgment. Most importantly, he has demonstrated time and again that he is a leader with integrity, strength and courage. He has introduced legislation to prevent terrorists from coming to the U.S. and to choke off their funding. Most significantly, when the Iran deal was coming to Congress for a vote, he led the efforts to stop this catastrophic deal."
He recalled that on Oct. 6, 1943, hundreds of rabbis marched in Washington, pleading with elected officials to step in and address the dangers to Jews in Europe. However, President Roosevelt refused to meet with them. As a result, millions of Jewish lives were lost during the Holocaust.
Reichman said today the Jews face an even greater threat from what Hitler did in World War II. "The Iranian regime threatens to do in six minutes what Hitler did in six years. They openly declare their hope to wipe Israel off the map. The Iranian nuclear deal has awarded this hideous regime billions of dollars, international legitimacy and hundreds of billions of dollars of future economic growth," he said.
On Sept. 9, 2015, hundreds of rabbis once again returned to Washington to plead with elected officials to step in and reject the Iranian nuclear deal. But just like what Roosevelt did in 1943, their voices were ignored.
"Ted Cruz stood with us and led at that moment," Reichman said. "President Cruz will tear up the Iran deal on his first day in office. The stakes for America, the West and Israel have rarely been higher. I hope and pray that the Almighty will help Ted Cruz become the next president of the United States and leader of the free world."
