The upcoming GOP Primaries are of great importance since the Republican candidate has a good chance of defeating Hillary Clinton in the general elections. While every American election is important, I feel this one carries special significance. There is an especially wide gap in world views and major issues across the board between political candidates from the right and left of the political divide.

I’ve never hidden the fact that I vote for US President on the basis of one issue; that issue being a candidate’s relationship to Israel. As a Jew first, an Israeli second and an American third, (as opposed to the widely-held American Jewish outlook of “American first”) my loyalty lies with the Jewish State above all else. In the case of the GOP Primaries, I’ll couple the factor of electability into the equation for a list of my top 5 GOP candidates:

1. Marco Rubio: Rubio, a young, but extremely knowledgeable, quick-thinking and seasoned politician, has made his fondness for Israel clear in both word and action. He has made countless speeches in defense of Israel’s policies vis-a-vis Iran and the question of “Palestinian” statehood and has a consistent pro-Israel voting record. If elected, Rubio has a clear concept of how he will alter the diplomatic landscape not only with regards to Israel, but other crucial foreign policy issues which Obama blundered on badly.
2. Ted Cruz: Cruz is second only to Huckabee when it comes to support for Israel. I have no doubt he will come to Israel’s aid if elected. My only question as far as Cruz is whether his political vision is really viable and if his stances on issues like the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and Iran can be applied in practice.
3. Mike Huckabee: the most pro-Israel candidate in the field, but I have strong doubts Huckabee can win the GOP Primary, and much more so the general elections.
4. Ben Carson: Dr. Carson has made his views on Israel clear during the primary campaign. If he’s elected and sticks to campaign promises, he will be a gigantic improvement over Obama or Hillary.
5. Donald Trump: Trump would be invariably better than Hillary. While claims that Trump is leading a “populist” campaign that plays on the American public’s feelings have been rampant in the Liberal media, his rhetoric makes a lot of sense and easily disproves this thesis since it has turned away a large portion of the electorate. However, based on some of Trump’s comments and general outlook, I strongly suspect he would continue the U.S.’s approach of serving its interests first and foremost. The question is what those interests are when it comes to Israel, and I believe Trump’s take on this is far removed from Hillary’s.