Donald Trump promises not to pander to Israel lobby, does just that

WASHINGTON -- For once, Donald Trump sounded like a pretty typical politician.

The Republican front-runner kicked off his speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the powerful pro-Israel lobbying group in the U.S., by promising not "to pander to you about Israel." 

Then he spent a half hour hitting the standard applause lines for the right-leaning pro-Israel movement while carefully following a prepared speech that could have been read by any Republican at the event.

"My number one priority is to dismantle the disastrous deal with Iran," he said to strong applause from the approximately 18,000 pro-Israel activists and lobbyist gathered in the Verizon Center in downtown Washington, D.C., just moments after promising not to "pander."

"I speak to you today as a lifelong supporter and true friend of Israel," he declared early in his speech.

One of the few times he deviated from his script besides punching it up with adjectives and some tough talk was to tout his Jewish family.

"My daughter Ivanka is about to have a beautiful Jewish baby!" he declared as he wrapped up.

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And he claimed he's studied the Iranian nuclear deal "greater by far than anybody else" — getting laughs from many in the crowd.

Trump has taken heat from all sides promising to stay "neutral" in negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. And he made a clear effort to walk back that comment on Monday night.

"The Palestinians must come to the table knowing that the bond between the United States and Israel is unbreakable," he said after promising to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, "the eternal capitol of the Jewish people," a longtime talking point of right-wing American politicians.

The crowd strongly applauded the kosher red meat Trump offered. But conservative Jews who have been skeptical of Trump and worried about his policies rolled their eyes.

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Trump's embrace of Israel didn't stop Trump's rivals in both parties for taking shots at him for his earlier comments.

“America can’t ever be neutral when it comes to Israel security or survival,” Hillary Clinton said in her morning speech to the group, one of many shots she took at Trump.

"We need steady hands, not a president who says he’s neutral on Monday, pro-Israel on Tuesday, and who-knows-what on Wednesday.”

And Ted Cruz, who took the stage right after the man he's trying to catch in the primary, took shots as well.

"Perhaps to the surprise of the previous speaker, Palestine has not existed since 1948," Cruz said in his first comments to the crowd. 

"As president I will not be neutral. America will stand unapologetically with the nation of Israel," Cruz said later.

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