Former state House Majority Leader Adam Hasner, now in a crowded Republican primary field looking to challenge Democrat incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012, expressed his support for Israel on Thursday -- and attacked President Barack Obama’s policies in regard to that American ally.

“We must firmly acknowledge that if history has taught us anything, it is that policies of appeasement are ultimately destined to fail,” Hasner said on Thursday. “On this front, President Obama has proven to be even more irresponsible than Jimmy Carter.”

Hasner was in Washington on Thursday, where he spoke to members of the Legacy Political Fund. Two of the leading conservative Republicans in the Senate -- John Thune of South Dakota and Florida’s own Marco Rubio -- also spoke to the group on Thursday.

“When I was invited to this event, I was asked to put aside my campaign stump speech and speak about an issue of personal importance that will offer you a true sense of who I am -- as a fighter, someone who has gone against the grain their entire life, someone who has proven they will stand up to Democrats and Republicans who act like them, and also why I am running for the United States Senate,” Hasner said.

“I believe we are in an ideological battle for the heart and soul of our country and we must rise to this generational challenge like those generations before us rose to theirs. And so it is that I have the unique opportunity to speak with you about an issue that I believe is of importance to all of us here today, and also important to America -- standing shoulder to shoulder during these challenging times with our greatest ally in the Middle East: the state of Israel.”

Hasner offered a warning that Israel faced numerous threats, as it has during its history.  

"The slow, steady assault against Israel by Muslim extremists and their allies has moved from an isolated few to a vocal many,” Hasner said. “What has changed, thankfully, is the ability of the Jewish people to defend themselves from within the borders of their own country. What must never change, and one of the things my candidacy is here to ensure, is that America's support for Israel is always of the highest and best quality.

“Among the many reasons for us to stand with Israel, the most obvious is found rooted in our own Americanism. That is because the state of Israel is a reflection of American virtue and values, and so it is no surprise that the United States was the first to stand with Israel just minutes after her independence was declared,” continued Hasner. “The miracles of 1776 were in many ways revived again in 1948, and so the special alliance between our two countries is natural, imperative and unlike any other.”

Hasner turned his focus -- and his fire -- toward Obama, accusing the administration of undermining American relations with Israel.

“We are now suffering under an administration which has been the most hostile since Israel's existence. President Obama cynically suggests that Israel itself would be safer if it simply submits to policies that concede its sovereignty and self-defense,” insisted Hasner. “He has turned away when Israel is attacked, blamed the Jewish people for the violence of Islamic radicals, and brushed aside the existential threats posed by Iran. The Obama administration uses Israel as an issue to distract attention from its avoidance of a far more pressing threat to be dealt with.”

Hasner also turned his focus to Iran and he weighed in on the aftermath of the “Arab Spring."

“The world is now on the clock as Iran is rushing to cross the nuclear threshold,” Hasner said. “President Obama's endless offers of outreach and too-little, too-late efforts to implement effective sanctions are proving laughable in comparison with the determination shown by Ahmadinejad and his proxies.