Jewish Journal by Aaron Bandler May 1, 2020
Cruz Says U.S. Cooperation With Israel on COVID-19 Necessary to ‘Decouple’ From China
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) joined Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) on April 29 to discuss why it was important for the United States to cooperate with Israel on COVID-19 resources.
On April 16, Cruz and Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) pushed for $12 million to be appropriated toward such cooperation with Israel. Cruz said on the call that the partnership with Israel is necessary to wean the U.S. off its dependence on China for personal protective equipment (PPE) and pharmaceuticals.
“We saw just how problematic that supply chain is in the midst of this pandemic,†he said, citing a state-controlled newspaper in China stating the Chinese government would cut off medication from the U.S. if the Trump administration took action against China over the pandemic.
For the U.S. to start decoupling from China, the U.S. needs to increase its cooperation with Israel in fighting COVID-19, Cruz argued. “Israel is a world leader when it comes to pharmaceuticals and medicine,†Cruz said, pointing to the fact that half of civilian research in Israel is devoted to life sciences.
More:
https://jewishjournal.com/news/united-states/315060/cruz-says-u-s-cooperation-with-israel-on-covid-19-necessary-to-decouple-from-china/
