This week, Israel-U.S. relations hit some turbulence. After U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro criticized Israel's settlement policies and was backed by the administration, U.S. State Department Spokesman John Kirby declared at a press briefing that the U.S. did not consider the recent EU decision to label settlement products an anti-Israel boycott. Jerusalem did not love these remarks, to say the least. But perhaps because we needed a reminder that there are other voices in the U.S., and that America is not just the Obama administration, Greg Abbott, the pro-Israel governor of Texas, arrived in Israel this week on his first visit. The governor, confined to a wheelchair since an accident in 1984, came to see Israel but also to promote Israel-Texas relations. In an interview with Israel Hayom he described his impressions from his visit, remarked on the week's current events and on the upcoming presidential election in the U.S. Q: Governor, this is your first time in Israel. What are your impressions so far? "I am so impressed with Israel. Impressed with the country, impressed with the beauty of the nation but also impressed with the beauty of the people here -- with their heart and soul. It is clear that there is a common connection between the soul and the personality of Texans and those in Israel. There is a genuine and powerful connection between Israel and Texas." Q: Is that the purpose of your visit? To bring Israel and Texas closer together- "Our goal is twofold. One is that we want to establish connections and relationships that we can build upon. The second is that we want to advance the business connections and economic development between businesses located here in Israel and businesses in the state of Texas. At a conference today, we shared and learned a multitude of ways in which we can advance economic development for both Texas and Israel." Q: This week, the Iran nuclear agreement went into effect and the economic sanctions were lifted. How do you feel about Iran becoming one of the "good guys" in the international arena? "I am concerned about the Iran deal. It is not the deal I would have struck. I am taking action as governor of the state of Texas to try to counter it, to the extent that a state can. I am asking state agencies in the state of Texas to continue to divest any investments whatsoever in Iran and to broaden the scope of both divestment and non-investment with regard to Iran." Q: Also this week, the American ambassador to Israel criticized Israel's policy in Judea and Samaria. The American administration has taken a very firm stance toward Israel. I assume you are aware of that. "I am concerned. I consider Israel to be an essential partner for the United States and the state of Texas, not just in this region but globally. That is why I am sending a message that Israel has no stronger backer or supporter than the state of Texas." Greg Abbott was born in Wichita Falls, Texas in 1957. He is married to a daughter of Mexican immigrants. In 1984 he was hurt when an oak tree fell on him during a storm and injured his back. Since then, he has been confined to a wheelchair. Abbott is a lawyer. In 1996 he was selected to serve as a justice in the Supreme Court of Texas. In 2014 he succeeded former governor Rick Perry, whom he defeated in the election with 59% of the votes. It is worth mentioning that former U.S. President George W. Bush also served as the governor of Texas. Q: Have you endorsed any candidate for the presidency? "I have not come out and endorsed a candidate yet in the race for president, and there's a reason for it. The primary in Texas will take place on March 1, and I want to continue to hear the candidates running for president articulating a message that will show that they support the ideals and values of Texas." Q: Everyone outside the U.S. is asking about Donald Trump. One of the media outlets has already forecast his victory. How would you explain the phenomenon? "Americans are frustrated with status quo politicians -- politicians who promise one thing and don't fulfill it. Americans are frustrated that their true desires and concerns are not being addressed. Donald Trump has made clear that he would address the concerns that Americans have about an open border, about importing danger, about allowing terrorists to come into the United States. I have been the most aggressive governor in the United States of America in calling out the administration on its allowance of refugees into the U.S. who turn out to be terrorists associated with ISIS [the Islamic State group]. It is the same type of phenomenon that is empowering Donald Trump's campaign. He's tapping into those concerns. It doesn't mean that he will be elected, because there are other candidates with equally powerful ideas to tackle the same problems." Q: In the election for the governorship, you defeated your opponent by a margin of 21%. You received the majority of the Hispanic votes and the majority of the women's votes. You managed to defeat your opponent among nearly every possible population. Can you pick out a Republican presidential candidate who can do something like that on a national level? "The answer is yes, if they articulate their vision in the right way. Here's the reality: Freedom and economic empowerment is not constrained by a particular race or ethnicity or sex or age. Everyone wants freedom. Everyone wants economic advancement. What I stood for was empowering individuals economically by getting government out of their lives and allowing them to have more liberty in how they run their lives. And that applies just as much to the Hispanic community as it does to the non-Hispanic community." Q: So a Republican presidential candidate can replicate what you did in Texas on a national level, even though the argument is that demographic changes favor the Democrats? "The same principle applies across the United States of America. If you cast a vision that shows that under your administration the people will have more freedom to advance economically, to have a safer community, to have better education opportunities, those are the kinds of principles that everyone can get behind." Q: The U.S. has had one great president in a wheelchair -- Franklin D. Roosevelt. Do you aspire to be like him- "My ambition is to be the leader of the greatest state in the United States, which is the state of Texas."
Houston, we have an ally
Texas Governor Greg Abbott was very impressed with Israel during his first visit to the country this week • "There is a powerful connection between Israel and Texas," he says, declaring that "Israel has no stronger supporter than the state of Texas."
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