Israel on Thursday condemned former US President Donald Trump‘s remarks praising the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah and criticising Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the ongoing war, calling it “shameful” and “unreliable”.
“It is shameful that a man like that, a former US president, abets propaganda and disseminates things that wound the spirit of Israel’s fighters and its citizens,” Israeli communications minister Shlomo told local media Channel 13.
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Addressing a rally in West Palm Beach, Trump on Wednesday blamed the Israeli and US government officials for revealing the weaknesses of Israel, which he said provoked Hezbollah’s attack. He also called Hezbollah – a sworn enemy of Israel – “very smart”.
“Netanyahu has been hurt very badly because of what’s happened here. He was not prepared. He was not prepared and Israel was not prepared,” he added.
Trump, who is a frontrunner to become the party’s 2024 presidential nominee, also suggested that if he was president, the US would have detected and prevented the terrorist attack in Israel.
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White House slams Trump
Meanwhile, the White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates called Trump’s comments “dangerous and unhinged” and said, “It’s completely lost on us why any American would ever praise an Iran-backed terrorist organization as smart.”
Several of Trump’s opponents in the Republican contest also criticised the former US President.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said, “It is absurd that anyone, much less someone running for President, would choose now to attack our friend and ally, Israel, much less praise Hezbollah terrorists as very smart.”
Trump’s former vice president Mike Pence said, “This is no time for any former president or any other American leader to be sending any message other than America stands with Israel.”
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Israel-Hamas war
The war between Israel and Hamas militants entered its seventh day on Friday – with the death toll rising to over 2,800 on both sides. The Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on Israel on Saturday citing a long-running dispute over the sensitive Al-Aqsa Mosque that is sacred to both Muslims and Jews. The Israeli military is retaliating for the Hamas attack with near-constant airstrikes.
Several citizens of other countries in Israel have been killed or abducted by the Hamas militants in the past few days. The number of US citizens confirmed to have been killed has risen to 25, while 17 more Americans are missing, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
(With inputs from agencies)
