Rep. Eric Cantor: Set Mideast Policies In "Judeo-Christian Tradition" And Stop Saying Settlements Are "The Stumbling Block"

Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) is the only Jewish Republican in Congress. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reports that "he told Christian Zionists in a speech to the Christians United For Israel annual conference in Washington that U.S. policies in the Middle East must be 'firmly grounded' in Judeo-Christian principles."

"Reaching out to the Muslim world may help in creating an environment for peace in the Middle East, but we must insist as Americans that our policies be firmly grounded in the beliefs of the Judeo-Christian tradition upon which this country was founded," said Cantor (R-Va.), who is the House minority whip. Cantor's 10-minute speech focused on U.S. support for Israel, and the threats to the Jewish state from Iran and terrorist groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah. He told the group that "now, more than ever, it is vital you're here, at a critical moment in history."

"Critics say the stumbling block" to peace in the Middle East "is settlements or Jerusalem or refugees," Cantor said. "We all know the real stumbling block to peace is posed by those who vehemently deny the nation of Israel's historical right to the land of Zion." Tweet