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Marco Rubio, nominated as Secretary of State, pledges strong pro-Israel stance and vows to revoke visas of Hamas supporters during Senate confirmation hearing.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF JANUARY 16, 2025 02:51
MARCO RUBIO, tapped to be the next US secretary of state, is seen as a strong supporter of Israel. He has backed a two-state resolution to the conflict while supporting Israel’s right to portions of the West Bank.
(photo credit: JOE RAEDLE/GETTY IMAGES)
President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, expressed his belief that Trump’s administration would be “the most pro-Israel administration in American history” in his Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday.
During his confirmation, Senator Ted Cruz asked Rubio if he would commit to “ending anti-terrorism sanctions waivers related to Palestinian terrorism and implementing sanctions against those terrorists.”
Additionally, Cruz asked about ending and reversing discriminatory policies and sanctions against Jews living in Judea and Samaria, citing the Biden administration’s “secret boycott policies.”
“Without speaking out of turn, I'm confident in saying that President Trump's administration will continue to be perhaps the most pro-Israel administration in American history,” Rubio answered.
Hamas supporters
Rubio also mentioned that the United States should revoke the visas of any “supporter of Hamas” in the country.
“If you apply for a visa to come into the United States and in the process of being looked at, it comes to light you’re a supporter of Hamas, we wouldn’t let you in,” he said.
“Now that you got the visa and [are] inside the US and we realize you’re a supporter, we should remove your visa. If you could not come in because you’re a supporter of Hamas, you should not be able to stay. That’s how I view it.”
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