"A nuclear Iran with a nuclear shield to project
terror around the world is a nightmare for all freedom-loving people
in the world ... If Iran doesn't get rid of nuclear facilities, we
will tear down them ourselves."
- AIPAC
Policy Conference, March 6, 2012
"This is not bellicosity and warmongering, this
is preventing the most radical regime in the world from having a weapon
that could fundamentally change the security posture" of "all
freedom-loving people in the world."
- AIPAC
Policy Conference, March 6, 2012
"We're throwing Israel under the bus because
we know we're going to be dependent upon OPEC ... We're going to say,
'Oh, Iran, we don't want you to get a nuclear weapon — wink,
wink, nod, nod — go ahead, just give us your oil.' Folks, the
president of the United States is selling the economic security of
the United States down the river right now."
- Oklahoma
City Rally, February 9, 2012
"The president fought tooth and nail against putting
sanctions on Iran and only capitulated at the end. This is a president
who is not standing by our allies, is trying to appease, trying to find
a way to allow Iran to get this nuclear weapon. He's doing absolutely
nothing in a consequential way to make sure that they do not get this
weapon."
- CNN,
February 9, 2012
"Iran acts with continuous acts of war since
1979. The IEDs are manufactured in Iran. They are ruled by a radical
theocracy. The principle virtue in Iran is martyrdom and mutually
assured destruction. Mutually assured destruction with Iran is an
inducement to war; their objective is to create a calamity and it
is their mission to take on the West and destroy us. They hate us
because of who we are and what we believe in. We need to work with
Israel and use covert activity to destroy their facilities. We must
close them down for them.
- Republican
Presidential Debate in Iowa, December 15, 2011
In the Iowa August 2011 Republican presidential primary debate, Santorum
told Ron Paul that “The Iranians are the existential threat to
the state of Israel,” after Paul tried to belittle the nuclear
threat Iran poses to the West.
- Glenn
Beck, August 12, 2011.
"I authored the Iran Freedom Support Act when
I was in the Senate because of their nuclear program. Iran
is not Iceland. Iran is a country that has been at war with us since
1979. Iran is a country that has killed more American men and women
in uniform in Iraq and Afghanistan than the Iraqis and Afghanistanis
have. The Iranians are the existential threat to the state of Israel.
You ask Israelis what keeps them up at night - it's Iran and their funding
of Hamas and Hezbollah, and Syria--[cut off by debate moderator]...
"Anyone who suggests that Iran is not a threat
to this country or is not a threat to stability in the Middle East is
obvioiusly not seeing the world very clearly...Iran is the greatest
supporter of terrorism around the world and in the Middle East and is
setting up training camps south of our border and working with Venezuela
and other countries to threaten us. Iran is a country that must be confronted.
I authored the Iran Freedom Support Act back in 2004...If and when Rick
Santorum is president, Iran will not get a nuclear weapon because the
world as we know it will be no more."
- 2012
Republican Presidential Debate in Iowa, August 12, 2011
“Effective action against Iran [requires America backing] a strong
Lebanon, a strong Israel and a strong Iraq,” the Senator said in
July 2006.
- Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette, July 21, 2006.
"Under a Santorum Administration, we would find
no gap between Israel and the United States because our interests
are united."
- AIPAC
Policy Conference, March 6, 2012
"I've seen a president who has been reticent,
he says he has Israel's back. From everything I've seen from the conduct
of this administration, he has turned his back on the people of Israel."
- AIPAC
Policy Conference, March 6, 2012
"You know, maybe the first trip I would take
[as president would be] to Israel."
- Republican
Presidential Debate in Washington, D.C., November 22, 2011
Santorum wrote an opinion piece in The National
Review in which he noted his disappointment with the president
for suggesting that Israel withdraw to the June 4, 1967 borders when
its enemies vie repeatedly to destroy it and deny her right to exist.
He ends the piece by encouraging every American who opposes terrorism
to stand up in support for Israel.
- The
National Review, May 20, 2011.
Santorum compared Israel returning to the June 4, 1967
borders as akin to the U.S. returning Texas to Mexico.
- Israel
Matzav, June 22, 2011.
"With respect to Syria, look, Syria and Assad
are a threat to Israel. I was the author of a bill when I was in the
United States Senate to put sanctions on Syria. And in fact, they worked
to get Syria out of Lebanon, which was — which was step number
one. That’s no longer a viable option. We need to rally the international
community, work and cooperate with removing Assad and work in concert
with the Arab League, work with others.
As far as a military mission on our own, no I do not
support a military mission into Syria, but we should be much more aggressive
in following through with policies that effectuate the removal of Assad
for the benefit of the Syrian people and for our neighbor — and
for their neighbor, Israel."
- Republican
Presidential Debate in South Carolina, January 17, 2012
