Rubio: Obama 'emboldened those who seek Israel's destruction'

Sen. Marco Rubio tried to separate himself from his 2016 rivals and the perceived foreign policy failures of the Obama administration in a pro-Israel speech Thursday.

Addressing the Republican Jewish Coalition, Rubio accused President Barack Obama of pursuing a policy of "abandonment" with regard to Israel and the Middle East.

"President Obama — and, I'm afraid, Hillary Clinton — have a different policy," Rubio said, comparing the Democrats to the past Middle East consensus. "They call it 'engagement,' but what it should really be called is 'abandonment.' Instead of standing up to those who single out Israel, the Obama administration takes the path of least resistance. It throws up its hands and says, in essence, 'not our problem.'"

Rubio went on to tear into Obama's lack of response to comments from Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas before the United Nations after he suggested that the Jewish state is an "occupation" of their land.

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