Mike Pence: US Should Make Sure Israel 'Has The Resources And Support They Need'

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Speaking to CNN on Sunday, former Vice President Mike Pence spoke about the need to support Israel as it exchanges missile strikes with Iran.

Transcript

00:00Well, I think we need to make sure that Israel has the resources and the support they need,

00:08whatever shape that might take, to once and for all eliminate and destroy the nuclear

00:17enrichment program within Iran.

00:20It was early in this administration.

00:23Some of us had concerns.

00:24I expressed them, that the president's envoy and negotiators were talking about some limited

00:31enrichment program.

00:34I have held the view that others have that there can be no nuclear enrichment program

00:42whatsoever.

00:43It needs to be dismantled or destroyed.

00:45Now if the Iranians want to stand down, I think the president's made it clear he's willing

00:51to enter into negotiations, but there can be no nuclear program of any kind, no enrichment

00:56program of any kind.

01:00And at the end of the day, if Israel needs our help to ensure that the Iranian nuclear program

01:05is destroyed once and for all, the United States of America needs to be prepared to do it, because

01:11this is about protecting our most cherished ally.

01:15But remember, those missiles that Iran has developed over the years can reach Europe today.

01:20They've been working on intercontinental ballistic missiles that could reach the United States.

01:26And Iran is the leading state sponsor of terrorism, Dana.

01:31And we simply cannot allow Iran to ever obtain a nuclear weapon.

01:37It threatens Israel.

01:38It threatens our allies.

01:39It threatens the people of the United States.

01:41And we need to stand on that principle.

01:43Well, I have a lot of familiarity with those millions of voters.

01:47And I think the American people that are part of our movement, part of the Republican coalition

01:52today, understand that America is the leader of the free world.

01:55If America is not leading the free world, the free world is not being led.

01:59It's one of the reasons I've so strongly supported U.S. support for Ukraine in the wake of that

02:04brutal invasion by Russia.

02:07But I also had a sense that the isolationist voices in the Republican Party, whether it

02:12be trying to suggest that we should cut off any support for Ukraine's fight for their freedom

02:19and sovereignty, and some people also questioning our commitments in the Asia-Pacific.

02:23But I've always said that I really do believe that strain of isolationism.

02:27All roads lead to Israel.

02:30And now when you hear leading voices on the outside talking about dumping Israel in this

02:36moment, it's scandalous.

02:37Look, since we just were coming up on 250 years of our nation's history, before this nation

02:44was founded, the pulpits of those colonies thundered with the aspiration that the people of Israel

02:50would someday return to the land of Israel.

02:53In 1948, we were the first nation on earth to recognize the Jewish state of Israel.

02:59I like to say Israel is our most cherished ally.

03:03And at the end of the day, I believe that is in the hearts and minds of the overwhelming

03:11majority, not just people in our movement, but the overwhelming majority of the American

03:15people know and cherish and will always stand with Israel.

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