Romney says Obama insufficiently pro-Israel

(CBS News) - Disagreeing sharply with President Obama's recent pro-Israel rhetoric, Mitt Romney on Tuesday said Obama has "warmed to the Palestinian cause" and scoffed at any talk of negotiating with Iran over its nuclear weapons plans by asserting: "Hope is not a foreign policy."

"The only thing respected by thugs and tyrants is our resolve, backed by our power and our readiness to use it," the former Massachusetts governor said in a speech via satellite from Columbus, Ohio, to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

Like his GOP rival Rick Santorum, Romney took issue with Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who said recently on CNN that he believes some Iranian officials are "rational actors."

"There are some in this administration who argue that Iran's leaders are `rational,' and that we can do business with them," Romney said. "The president speaks of common interests. Let me be clear: we do not have common interests with a terrorist regime."

Romney's attacks on Obama have in turn drawn criticism from Democrats. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry, D-Mass., told The New York Times that Romney's earlier accusation that Iran would get a nuclear weapon while Obama is president but would not if he is in the Oval Office "is the most craven political thing to say." Kerry also said overly hawkish talk could drive up oil prices.

But the Romney campaign remains convinced it can score points with pro-Israel voters by playing up its perceived differences on the issue, even as some experts say those differences actually are minimal. The Romney campaign put out a memo from policy director Lanhee Chen rebuking what it called the top six exaggerations of Obama's Sunday address to AIPAC.

Romney also said the Obama administration "has distanced itself from Israel and visibly warmed to the Palestinian cause," despite Palestinians' professed disappointment with his pro-Israel remarks to AIPAC and his urging of the United Nations last year not to recognize Palestinian statehood.

"It has emboldened the Palestinians," Romney said. "They are convinced that they can do better at the UN - and better with America - than they can at the bargaining table with Israel."

With so much turmoil in the Arab world, he said trying to negotiate any sort of peace process with the Palestinians would be like "setting up a tent in the middle of a hurricane," and that his support was unequivocally behind the Israelis.

Though he said Israeli and U.S. officials may disagree behind closed doors, he reiterated that he would never publicly admonish the Jewish state: "Israel does not need public lectures about how to weigh decisions of war and peace. It needs our support."

Romney also invoked his friendship with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he called an "old friend" from having worked together three decades ago at the Boston Consulting Group.

(Watch video: Romney and Santorum use the same phrase at AIPAC)

[nearl451]

what an absolute laughingstock Romney is. The President is pro-Israel, but insifficiently so.

Weren't sucking up and brown-nosing with AIPAC today, were you Mitt?

LOFL.

[nearl451]

See Republicans DO care about "people".

What a lamebrain.

[wfw3536]

It is so clear that Obama and Biden do not like Israel and both have disrespected the Israeli leaders on numerious occassions over the last 3 years. It is very sad that this administration just does not care about our best friends in the middle east.

[erpicferl]

mitt isn't pro-human enough. he's a cardboard cutout.

[nonpolitico]

Watched the tv report of the Israeli PM speaking to Obama.
Obama`s face was a picture. He did not like being told it is about time he put up or shut up about Israel!

Actually, if Israel did take out the Iranian nukes, maybe it would get the attention of that other maniac Assad, just next door?
Do not forget that to date, Israel is rumored to have taken out nuclear scientists INSIDE IRAN!
No-one should underestimate the Israelis and their capabilities.
Remember Entebbe? Accordong to the CIA, THAT couldn`t be done, but it was, and the IDF demonstrated they have capability, and the cohones to use it!
USA will do NOTHING to help Israel this year, as Obama has his eyes on another 4 years, NOT stopping the biggest supplier of Islamic revolutionaty violence around the world, or preventing that Ayatolloah nightmare of a state possessing Nuclear weapons.
North Koreas HAS Nukes, but in over 30 yrs has not used them.
Iran is a religiously mental state which may just hit Tel Aviv for "the glory of Allah".
They are a nation of madmen,just like WWII Germany!(which is why Israel is situated where it is!)

[PourpaixPourpaix]

What a crock. Iran has had a long history of getting abused by the West, and was begging for a nuclear free zone in the Middle East just 10 years ago. Neighbors Pakistan, India, and Israel all have nukes, and they are under the thumbs of superpowers Russia and China. The USA routinely hauls their nuclear-laden navy into Iranian territorial waters without Iran's permission, and now backs longtime foe Iraq. If I were Iranian, I'd say screw the world, too. They have a right to self-defense.

[rightontarget]

......Romney's earlier accusation that Iran would get a nuclear weapon while Obama is president but would not if he is in the Oval Office......
******************************

Really Twit???? Are you serious???? So what are ya gonna due, huh? Start a war over it all by yourself? You dumbazz...... Nobody wants Iran to have a nuclear weapon and will do everything to prevent it but you, oh mighty one, will see to it that they don't get one but Obama will??? So fear tactics are one of your best shots???? And by the way, although Iran's leader is just plain NUTS, Isreal is stubborn and have always wanted to somehow get the United States to go to war for them. Yeah, THEY can start an attack and it would put us in a position of having to join them in it. Israel isn't to be trusted either. I think we have wasted enough American lives and assets on foreign countries.

[DebbieCorona]

So Romney is willing to lower the flag of the USA under Israel? Mitt needs to go on a mission to Israel and try to recruit Israeli's to LDS and leave the USA out of it. On a side note: IF Romney is soooo pro war then when his 5 sons sign up to shed their blood and when Romney gives his money to the poor, I'll consider a vote for him. Until then he is a deceiver and not a supporter of the USA.

[WHAT-IS-HE-SMOKING]

"Like his GOP rival Rick Santorum, Romney took issue with Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who said recently on CNN that he believes some Iranian officials are "rational actors."
And just how much military time do these two have that they know more than the general?

[MisterSquash]

Romney is so pro-Israel that he would like to baptize any prominent Israelis after they die, just in case they want to become Mormons. What a great guy. Also, "he reiterated that he would never publicly admonish the Jewish state".... however publicly admonishing his own government is perfectly acceptable.

[Turbidite]

Then let Romney and his family suit up and join the IDF. Bon voyage!

[rightbehind]

No Doubts!!!

[AOCGUY]

So I guess Romney is running fro President of Israel.