Recent comments by Republican’s likely presidential candidate on Israel’s direction have been strongest yet
- Trump avoids explicit position on Israel’s military excursion.
- His campaign blames Biden for ongoing chaos in Middle East.
- Politician’s plans include barring Gaza residents from entering US.
Donald Trump, the leading Republican presidential candidate, stressed that Israel must “finish the problem” in its war against Hamas, NBC News reported.
In his most definitive position on the Israel-Hamas conflict since the October 7 attacks, Trump said: “You’ve got to finish the problem. You had a horrible invasion that took place that would have never happened if I was president.”
The 77-year-old former president made these remarks during a Fox News programme where he was also asked whether he supported a cease-fire in Gaza.
Addressing the ceasefire question, Trump tried to avoid an explicit position on Israel’s military effort that has now killed over 30,000 people in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
The likely 2024 Republican nominee has not provided his position on US or Israel’s strategy throughout the five months of the war but has recently shifted his election campaign towards an anti-war stance.
Trump’s recent comments on Israel’s direction have been the strongest yet, but he has not provided specific proposals on the financial involvement of the US, hostage negotiations, the civilian population’s situation in Gaza, or the choice of a one- or two-state solution.
Additionally, Trump’s campaign has promoted his record on Israel and blamed Biden for the ongoing chaos in the Middle East.
“President Trump did more for Israel than any American President in history, and he took historic action in the Middle East that created unprecedented peace,” Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s national press secretary, said in a statement.
She added: “When President Trump is back in the Oval Office, Israel will once again be protected, Iran will go back to being broke, terrorists will be hunted down, and the bloodshed will end.”
Trump announced in the weeks following the Hamas attack that a future administration “fully support Israel defeating, dismantling, and permanently destroying the terrorist group Hamas.”
Last October, his campaign also said that, if elected again, he would bar Gaza residents from entering the US as part of an expanded travel ban.
In the past four months, Trump’s public support for Israel has largely ceased, as Biden faces criticism from left-wing and Muslim-American voters for his support of Israel’s response to the October 7 attack.
The Biden administration has increased criticism of Israel but has not cut off military aid. They are advocating for a six-week cease-fire deal, including the release of hostages.
