Nancy Pelosi
Nancy PelosiReuters

House minority leader Nancy Pelosi said in an interview with Bloomberg’s Al Hunt that she believes Republican Jews are "being exploited," alleging that they are using Israel as an “excuse” to divert the public from their tax-cutting agenda.

Pelosi’s comments came in response to a question posed by the interviewer as to whether Jewish voters would support President Barack Obama in the upcoming presidential elections.

"I think [Obama] will" win the Jewish vote, Pelosi said, when pressed on the subject. "I think that he will, because the fact is when the facts get out. You know, as many of the Republicans are using Israel as an excuse, what they really want are tax cuts for the wealthy. So Israel, that can be one reason they put forth."

The interviewer then added, "That’s why some of the Republican Jewish supporters are really active." 

Pelosi responded by saying, "Well, that’s how they’re being exploited. And they’re smart people. They follow these issues. But they have to know the facts. And the fact is that President Obama has been the strongest person in terms of sanctions on Iran, which is important to Israel. He’s been the strongest person on whether it’s Iron Dome, David’s Sling, any of these weapons systems and initiatives that relate to Israel. He has been there over and over again."