July 29, 2012

JERUSALEM (JTA) — Mitt Romney at a policy speech in Jerusalem addressed the alleged Iranian nuclear weapons program and changes in the Arab world.

Most of all, however, the 15-minute address at a park overlooking the Old City focused on what Romney, the presumptive Republican presidential candidate, called the “enduring shared values” of the United States and Israel.

“The security of Israel is in the vital national security interest of the United States,” Romney told a crowd of 500. “We serve the same cause and we provoke the same hatreds in the same enemies.”

He never mentioned the Palestinians or the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

The first section of the speech focused on the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran, which has been a major theme of Romney’s foreign policy statements.

Preventing a nuclear Iran is America’s “highest national security priority,” he said. “It would be foolish not to take the leaders of Iran at their word. We have a moral imperative to deny Iran’s leaders the means to follow through on their malevolent intent.”

Romney invoked the fast day of the ninth of Av, which was ending that day, as he spoke about Iran. The fast day commemorates the destruction of both Holy Temples in Jerusalem.

“It’s remarkable to consider how much adversity is recalled by just one day on the calendar,” he said. “It calls forth clarity and resolve.”

Romney also quoted former Israeli Prime Minister Menahem Begin twice and mentioned the 11 Israeli athletes and coaches murdered at the Munich Olympics in 1972.

In the second half of the speech, Romney addressed changes in the region, which he called “tumult.” He called on Egypt’s new president, Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood, to keep Israel’s peace treaty with Egypt and admonished Syrian President Bashar Assad, whom he called “no friend to Israel and no friend to America,” for killing his own citizens.

The speech came near the end of a day in which Romney met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Shimon Peres, Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and other leaders. Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat introduced Romney before the speech.

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