Sen. Ted Cruz demands Kerry resign for linking Israel to apartheid

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said Monday that Secretary of State John Kerry should resign for allegedly saying that Israel risked becoming “an apartheid state” if it didn’t agree to a peace deal.

“Secretary Kerry has proven himself unsuitable for the position he holds,” Cruz said on the Senate floor. “John Kerry should offer President Obama his resignation.”

{mosads}On Sunday, The Daily Beast reported that Kerry likened the Jewish state to South Africa’s racist apartheid regime during a talk with a group of influential world leaders behind closed doors on Friday.

“There is no place for this word in the context of the state of Israel … because America will be with Israel regardless of the status of the diplomatic process,” Cruz said of Kerry’s use of “apartheid.” 

Kerry has been trying to broker a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians but has suffered major setbacks this month with the Palestinian Authority forming a unity government with Hamas, which Israel considers a terrorist organization. That led Israel to suspend talks with the Palestinians.

Earlier Monday, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) demanded Kerry apologize but didn’t go as far as Cruz in calling for his resignation.