Republican frontrunner Donald Trump attacked the Obama administration's foreign policy in the Middle East on Wednesday, saying in a foreign policy address that the White House had "snubbed" Israel, while treating Iran "with tender love and care."
"Israel, our great friend and the one true democracy in the Middle East, has been snubbed and criticized by an administration that lacks moral clarity," Trump said in Washington, D.C. "Just a few days ago, Vice President Biden again criticized Israel, a force for justice and peace, for acting as an impatient peace area in the region. President Obama has not been a friend to Israel."
Trump has been one of many GOP critics of the Iran nuclear deal brokered by the Obama administration, telling AIPAC last month that his top priority was to dismantle the agreement.
"He's treated Iran with tender love and care and made it a great power," Trump said. "Iran has indeed become a great, great power in just a very short period of time, because of what we've done, all of the expense and all at the expense of Israel, our allies in the region and very importantly, the United States itself. We pick fights with our oldest friends, and now they're starting to look elsewhere for help. Remember that. Not good."
Although Trump previously spoke on Israel to AIPAC, this was billed as his first major foreign policy address. Trump, already the leader in delegates, pulled off a sweep of five primary states Tuesday evening to widen his lead in the GOP delegate count over opponents Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) and Ohio Gov. John Kasich.