Opinion: Ted Cruz - The Satmar Choice
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/3419985/posts
Cruz will have hundreds of influential Republican donors and Jewish leaders to himself this weekend
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-gop/3418908/posts
Fearing Trump, Republican Jews give Cruz another look - JP, by Ron Kampeas, 2016 April 12
Trump and Ohio Gov. John Kasich skipped the spring meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition, leaving Cruz as the sole hopeful to address the 560 Jews packed into a conference room at The Venetian casino resort. Trump's high negative approval ratings among women and minorities coupled with his seeming fecklessness on Israel — pledging neutrality one week and support the next — seemed to drive many in attendance to give Cruz a second look after months of shunning the Texas senator for his social conservatism and reputation for not making nice with other Republicans. ..... < snip > ..... No one questioned Cruz's Israel bona fides, and his impassioned expressions of support for the country earned standing ovations, the longest when he swore to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem. But his more important qualification was the possibility that he could beat Trump, whose candidacy, as folks whispered in conversations in the corridors, would lead inexorably to President Hillary Clinton. ..... < snip > ..... After Cruz spoke, many in the room appeared reassured. ..... < snip > LAS VEGAS — Ted Cruz came here to woo Republican Jews over the weekend, and in the absence of his opponents for the GOP presidential nomination came away with qualified support based not on who he is but who he is not — Donald Trump.
Cruz, acknowledging social issues gap with Republican Jews, stresses Israel support - JP, by JTA, 2016 April 10
"I recognize that is a question that many people here wrestle with," Cruz said Saturday at the Republican Jewish Coalition's leadership meeting, which gathers annually in Las Vegas, after one of the attendees earned applause for saying Cruz's attitudes on abortion and gay marriage were unpopular with Jewish Republicans. But Cruz, the Texas senator running for the Republican presidential nod, said he would not abandon his social conservatism. "No Republican has ever won without campaigning and running as a fiscal conservative, a national security conservative and a social conservative," he said. Cruz was the only one of the three remaining presidential candidates to attend the RJC confab, and held separate private meetings with donors over the weekend. He is seeking Jewish support in his bid to keep front-runner Donald Trump from accruing enough delegates to win on the first round of voting at the convention. Cruz believes he can win a second round of voting. ..... < snip > Ted Cruz appealed to Republican Jews to back him for his outspoken support of Israel, while acknowledging differences with the constituency on social issues and immigration.