Ted Cruz showed up to AIPAC to deliver the same script every politician peddles: standing with Israel makes Americans safer. The claim is absurd on its face. Israel's occupation and military actions in Gaza have made the US less safe by destabilizing the entire region and feeding anti-American sentiment globally. But this is what AIPAC pays for, what politicians deliver, and what gets applauded in ballrooms full of donors. Cruz frames it as defending a threatened relationship. What's actually threatened is any American politician willing to question unconditional support for military occupation.