President Obama and Mitt Romney. Photo: Screenshot.

U.S. President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Governor Mitt Romney sparred on Monday over who was Israel’s strongest defender, but both agreed that a military strike over Iran’s nuclear program must be a “last resort.”

Reacting to the third and final presidential debate, which took place in Boca Raton, Fla., Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) Executive Director Matt Brooks said Romney demonstrated “his knowledge of foreign policy issues and his understanding of the nature of our allies and foes on the global stage.”

“[Obama’s] policies over the last four years have weakened us,” Brooks said in a statement. “Romney’s plans to grow the economy and get people back to work will strengthen America at home and in the eyes of the world.”

National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) President David A. Harris, however, said Obama’s “statements of unequivocal support for Israel” during the debate were “just the latest demonstration of this President’s rock-solid commitment to the Jewish state and its security.”

“For pro-Israel voters, only one candidate in this race has a proven record when it comes to standing up for Israel’s security, and those voters were reminded of that tonight,” Harris said in a statement. “President Obama showed—in this exchange, and throughout the evening—why and how he has stewarded the U.S.-Israel relationship and the effort to halt Iran so powerfully and with maturity, seriousness and confidence over the past four years.”