Sen. Ted Cruz hit Donald Trump over Israel while Trump repeated his characterization of his rival as dishonest, as the two leading contenders for the Republican presidential nomination shadow-boxed Monday on separate Fox News appearances.

The exchange came a day before voters in Arizona and Utah cast their ballots. Cruz is favored in Utah, but Trump has led in Arizona polls.

Appearing on “The Kelly File” on a day when both candidates addressed the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), Cruz blasted Trump over the billionaire’s statement that he would strike a neutral pose in trying to negotiate a peace deal between the Jewish state and the Palestinians.

“Anyone that can’t tell the difference between our friends and allies, anyone that cannot distinguish between the state of Israel — which is fighting to defend its citizens from terrorism — and Islamic terrorists … then that raises real questions about your fitness and judgment to be commander in chief.”

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Cruz also ripped Trump over his previous refusal to say he would tear up the Iran nuclear deal on day one.

Cruz said he feels confident about his chances in Utah and said Arizona was “competitive.” But he brushed off questions about whether he would welcome a “unity ticket” with former rival Sen. Marco Rubio.

For his part, Trump did not sound during a town hall-style event on “Hannity” that he was prepared to give an inch to Israel’s enemies. He said the nuclear accord might be the worst deal for Israel ever signed. He said the United States should have demanded the return of American prisoners before even starting negotiations.

“A hundred-fifty billion dollars and we get nothing,” he said. “And I’ll you what, it’s going to lead to nuclear proliferation.”

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Asked specifically by host Sean Hannity if he would stand by Israel, Trump said, “One hundred percent.”

Trump depicted Cruz as dishonest and suggested it is a reason he has bested the Texas senator among evangelical voters.

“Cruz doesn’t know what happened,” he said. “Lying Ted doesn’t know what happened. They don’t like liars. I have never met a man who lied like Ted Cruz.”

Trump also said Cruz is “totally taken care of” by special interest groups that have no influence over the self-funding Trump candidacy.

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Beyond Cruz, Trump covered a broad range of topics in front of a boisterous and supportive crowd. He reaffirmed his commitment to conservatism, reiterating his promise to end the Common Core education program, repeal the Affordable Care Act, protect the Second Amendment, fix the veterans’ health care system, and rebuild the military.

Trump knocked “professional disruptors” who have sparked disturbances at his rallies.

“If you interview them, they don’t even know why they’re there,” he said, to laughter from the crowd.

Trump repeated a number of themes he has pursued since launching his White House bid last summer:

  • On foreign countries ripping off the “stupid leaders” who run America: “They’re just taking advantage of people who don’t know what they’re doing.”
  • On defending Saudi Arabia from Iranian aggression: “We have to be reimbursed. We have to be paid for this.”
  • On bringing the fractious GOP together: “As soon as I win, you’re going to see great unity. You’re going to see the Republican Party come together.”

Trump also gave a preview of the pummeling Hillary Clinton can expect in a general election matchup.

“The email scandal is a massive scandal where people were sent to prison for a doing a tiny fraction of what she did,” he said. “You look at Gen. (David) Petraeus, what happened to him. What he did was nothing compared to what she did.”