NOTICIAS

As I reported in part 1 of my interview with Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), the outspoken freshman is leading the debate and his party on critical foreign policy issues, including Syria. His staff indicated to me yesterday that he would be introducing a resolution on Syria. He expounded on that in a CBS Early Show interview this morning:

In yesterday’s interview I also asked Rubio about the new Hamas-Fatah unity government. He said succinctly, “The stated goal of Hamas is the destruction of the Jewish state. I find it difficult to understand how you negotiate then. The only thing you are discussing is the rate of your own destruction, how long it will take.” He speaks in stark, unequivocal terms in contrast to the administration, which seems allergic to drawing lines. “Israel is our ally,” he says. “Any negotiation has to prioritize Israel’s security.” He finds it “hard to imagine” how we could continue to fund a Palestinian entity in which Hamas is a party. As for the administration, which has been criticized for being more confrontational with Israel than its predecessors, Rubio is diplomatic but unmistakably concerned with the Obama administration’s approach. “I would like to see their commitment to Israel’s security.” He then lists his other hopes for a bolder pro-Israel policy. He says the United States should be clear that we oppose “in any shape or form” a unilateral declaration of Palestinian statehood. He emphasizes, “We should do everything in our power” at the United Nations and with the European Union to block efforts to support a unilateral declaration of statehood.

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