Republican presidential hopefuls were quick to criticize President Barack Obama's speech on the Middle East Thursday, accusing him of betraying America's closest ally in the region with his call for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“President Obama has thrown Israel under the bus,” Mitt Romney charged in a statement:
“He has disrespected Israel and undermined its ability to negotiate peace. He has also violated a first principle of American foreign policy, which is to stand firm by our friends.”
Michele Bachmann said on Twitter, Obama had “betrayed our friend and ally Israel.”
“Obama’s call for 1967 borders will cause chaos, division & more aggression in Middle East and put Israel at further risk".
Rick Santorum said the speech as a whole hearkened to the "sad state of American diplomacy.”
"The fact that the President took six months to simply say that our policy is to oppose violence, support universal rights, and support reform epitomizes the sad state of American diplomacy"..
Tim Pawlenty called a return to 1967 borders "a mistaken a very dangerous demand."
"The city of Jerusalem must never be re-divided,To send a signal to the Palestinians that America will increase its demands on our ally Israel, on the heels of the Palestinian Authority’s agreement with the Hamas terrorist organization, is a disaster waiting to happen. At this time of upheaval in the Middle East, it's never been more important for America to stand strong for Israel and for a united Jerusalem.”