Ted Cruz booed off stage while defending Israel

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) abruptly walked off stage at an event organized by a pro-Christian organization in Washington, D.C., Wednesday night after the crowd turned on him for vociferously defending Israel.

Delivering the keynote at an event hosted by the group In Defense of Christians, which raises awareness for persecuted Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East, Cruz said, "Christians have no greater ally than Israel." That's when the crowd began to boo, according to The Daily Caller.

He also lumped Hamas, Hezbollah, ISIS, and al Qaeda together, saying they "are all engaged in a vicious genocidal campaign to destroy religious minorities in the Middle East."

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"Those who hate Israel hate America," he added, prompting more boos and heckling.

As the crowd continued to shout, Cruz said, "If you will not stand with Israel and the Jews, then I will not stand with you," and then left the stage. --Jon Terbush