Photos: Menachem Kalish

O

ne hundred rabbis and communal leaders came to Washington, D.C., last week for the Orthodox Union’s 22nd annual Leadership Mission. The delegates met with senators, representatives, and White House officials to discuss issues of concern to the Jewish community.

While attending the event, I had the chance to spend a little time with Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, an outspoken Israel supporter. I asked him a few questions about an anticipated White House peace proposal, reported to be released in the coming weeks.

What do you think the plan should look like?

I always remain hopeful, but the impediment to peace in the Middle East was and remains a Palestinian leadership and a unity government with Hamas that refuses to recognize Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state, and that continues to embrace terrorism. As long as those aspects don’t change, I don’t believe peace will be achieved.

We saw on the day of the US embassy opening Hamas terrorists in Gaza attacking the Israeli border with pipe bombs, Molotov cocktails, and kites with gasoline bombs and swastikas painted on them. We also saw the international media shamelessly acting as the propaganda arm for Hamas. The New York Times couldn’t bring itself to recognize that those attacking the border were Hamas terrorists; even Hamas’s own website identified them as terrorists! And yet, the New York Times declined to do so. That reflects a persistent pattern, with the global media willing to be, as the phrase goes, “useful idiots” in spreading anti-Israel propaganda, and I think that’s very unfortunate.

Should we expect the administration to take steps toward recognizing Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights?

I don’t know. I have urged the administration to recognize the Golan Heights as part of Israel; I think it is right from a security perspective, but that has yet to occur.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 715)