Secretary of State John Kerry has backed off his comment that Israel would risk becoming an
"apartheid state" if it didn't pursue a peace deal with the Palestinians. But Sen. Ted Cruz still wants him to resign.
Calling Kerry's comments "extremely troubling," the Texas Republican told Fox News Channel's
"The Kelly File" on Monday that Kerry's words should be seen in the context of five years of the administration of President Barack Obama.
The current White House has "the most hostile relationship the United States has had to Israel in modern times," Cruz said,
citing Obama's unilateral demand in 2011 that Israel recede to its 1967 borders.
Kerry later said he should have chosen another word when speaking to a closed international forum, but he also said attacks against him were partisan.
But while Republicans spoke against Kerry's words, so did Democrats, including California Sen. Barbara Boxer, who called his statement "nonsensical" and "ridiculous."
Cruz told Fox that Kerry's words "will be repeated by anti-Semites throughout the world," including in Europe and Iran. The United States is negotiating a nuclear deal with Iran, and Israel has said it fears that country is attempting to build a nuclear weapon to use against it.
Cruz said he voted against Kerry's confirmation as secretary of state because he was afraid Kerry would put his views of the international community above U.S. national security interests.
"I'm sad to say this comment follows a pattern of doing just that," he said.