GOP candidates hit Trump and back Israel. Here are highlights from the Republican debate

By NICHOLAS RICCARDI and STEVE PEOPLES
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican presidential candidates used the third debate of the GOP primary campaign to show their support for Israel and display at least some willingness to criticize Donald Trump, the front-runner in the race. But they face an increasingly urgent task to emerge as a clear alternative to the former president, who skipped the event. With the Jan. 15 Iowa caucuses quickly approaching, it seems unlikely that Wednesday’s debate will dramatically reshape the trajectory of the presidential nomination fight. There were five candidates on the debate stage, although a vendetta between two of them stood out — former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.