UNITED STATES: On Wednesday, former U.S. President Donald Trump criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for what he perceived as inadequate preparedness for a recent attack by Palestinian Hamas militants, which resulted in the deaths of at least 1,200 people in Israel.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump, the front-runner for the Republican presidential candidature in 2024, stated that Netanyahu “has been hurt very badly” because of the attack.
He said, “He was not prepared. He was not prepared, and Israel was not prepared. And under Trump, they wouldn’t have had to be prepared.”
Trump’s remarks occurred at a time when Israel was still grappling with the aftermath of one of the most destructive attacks in its history. In retaliation, it launched airstrikes on Gaza, killing at least 1,200 Palestinians.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, one of Trump’s rivals in the Republican race, denounced the former president over the remarks.
“(It) is absurd that anyone, much less someone running for President, would choose now to attack our friend and ally, Israel,” DeSantis stated on a social media post.
Trump and Netanyahu shared a strong relationship during Trump’s presidency, though cracks have shown in their once-solid connection.
During his Wednesday night speech to supporters in Florida, Trump brought up the subject of Israeli security readiness once more, citing “some of the things that went wrong over the last week.”
“They’ve gotta straighten it out because they’re fighting potentially a very big force, they’re fighting potentially with Iran,” Trump added.
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