Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican candidate in the 2016 US elections and a strong supporter of Israel, said that US universities supporting BDS should lose federal funding.  

Republican Senator Ted Cruz, a possible presidential candidate in the 2016 American elections, stated on Thursday that universities promoting a boycott of Israel should no longer benefit from funding by the federal government, the Washington Post reports.

Cruz’s remarks were aimed at the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel, which is dangerously gaining traction on college campuses. Several student bodies have presented resolutions calling for a boycott of Israel. Cruz has previously spoken out against BDS, but he sharpened his tone Thursday.

‘BDS is Anti-Semitism, Plain and Simple’

The nation needs a president who will ensure that “if a university boycotts the nation of Israel, then that university will forfeit federal taxpayer dollars. BDS is premised on a lie, and it is anti-Semitism, plain and simple,” he declared at the Champion of Jewish Values International Awards Gala in Washington, where he received the Defender of Israel Award, the Post reports.

The presidential hopeful outlined what he believed America’s next leader must do when it comes to Israel and the various threats that it faces.

Support for Israel, he explained, includes imposing sanctions on Iran, transferring bunker bombs to Israel if “Iran has not stopped marching toward nuclear weapons,” moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem and no longer funding the Palestinian Authority “as long as its engages in incitement” and is in a unity government with Hamas.

“If Iran is on the verge of acquiring nuclear weapons that president in 2017 should stand up to the world and explain very simply either Iran will stop or the United States of America will stop it,” Cruz asserted, according to the Post.

If Iran obtains a nuclear weapon, it will be the greatest threat to the security of the United States and Israel, he said.

“The next 19 months are going to be perilous,” he continued. “But I commit to you to do everything in my power to speak out and stop any deal that will allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons.”

He underscored the significance of confronting Iran from a position of strength and standing strong with Israel and America’s other allies.

Just as former president Jimmy Carter was followed by Ronald Reagan, Cruz expressed hope that Obama will be followed by a strong leader who will not seek to appease enemies of the US.

Regarding the recently shaky rapport between Washington and Jerusalem, Cruz, a staunch supporter of Israel, said the Obama administration’s antagonism against Israel is simply “unacceptable.” Once Obama is out of office, he said, the relationship can be repaired and enriched under strong leadership.

By: United with Israel Staff