Former Obama housing chief Julian Castro joins 2020 presidential race

Times of Israel: Assailing President Donald Trump for “a crisis of leadership,” former Obama cabinet member Julian Castro joined the 2020 presidential race Saturday as the rush of Democrats making early moves to challenge the incumbent accelerates, while anticipation grows around bigger names still considering a White House run.
Castro, who could end up being the only Latino in what is shaping up to be a crowded Democratic field, made immigration a centerpiece of his announcement in his hometown of San Antonio, less than 200 miles from the US-Mexico border.
Two days after the president visited the border to promote his promised wall, Castro mocked Trump for claiming that the US faces an “invasion” from its ally to the south. “He called it a national security crisis,” Castro said. “Well, there is a crisis today. It’s a crisis of leadership. Donald Trump has failed to uphold the values of our great nation.”
Castro, the 44-year-old grandson of a Mexican immigrant, said he was running for president “because it’s time for new leadership, because it’s time for new energy and it’s time for a new commitment to make sure that the opportunities that I’ve had are available to every American.”
He made the announcement as a government shutdown drags into the longest in US history, and as the field of 2020 contenders widens.
Castro was San Antonio’s mayor for five years and US housing secretary in President Barack Obama’s second term. He became the second Democrat to formally enter race, after former Maryland Rep. John Delaney.
Castro doesn’t have much policy experience relating to Israel, but he’s visited and has spoken in general terms of admiration for the Jewish state. When he visited Israel as mayor of San Antonio, Texas, in July 2011, then-president Shimon Peres held an official ceremony welcoming him.
“Israel’s is an inspiring story, because if Israel, given the challenging circumstances it operates under can excel in a 21st century economy, certainly communities in the United States like San Antonio can do so as well,” Castro told reporters at the time. “It was eye-opening for me in terms of how a nation can overcome diversity, how they can come together and create something truly amazing in terms of entrepreneurship, and it spoke to me about what San Antonio can accomplish.”
Castro was reportedly so impressed by Saul Singer and Dan Senor’s book “Start-Up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle” that he decided to take a San Antonio delegation to learn from the country more directly.
But other than that, he has never been in a position to execute foreign policy, and has not been vocal or specific about any particular policy positions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or other regional issues.
Interviewed by Hadassah Magazine in January 2013, he defended President Obama’s approach toward Israel, along with his handling of the Iranian nuclear threat, without going into details about policy.
“The president is a strong supporter of Israel, and through his leadership the United States has maintained a very close connection [and] has made a very big investment in ensuring that Israel continues to be stable and secure.” he said.
“The United States and Israel share a common goal with most of the rest of the world that Iran never secures nuclear weapons,” he added. “I don’t believe it will happen as long as we are vigilant and remain committed to the goal. The US will always stand for a strong Israel and ensure that Iran doesn’t have nuclear weapons.”
Castro is getting an early start in trying to stand out. His first trip as a candidate comes Monday, to hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico, where an outcry has begun as the White House considers diverting disaster funding to pay for the wall.
The impasse over paying for a border wall that Trump made a central part of his 2016 campaign has led to the partial federal closure. That stalemate, along with Trump’s hard-line immigration stands, drew sharp rebukes from Castro.
“There are serious issues that need to be addressed in our broken immigration system, but seeking asylum is a legal right. And the cruel policies of this administration are doing real and lasting harm,” he said.
He argued for securing the border in a “smart and humane way.”