DONALD BACKS BIBI: Trump Says He Stands With Netanyahu After Criticism For Saying He ‘Let Us Down’

Former U.S. President Donald Trump declared his solidarity with Israel and Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu on Friday, even as his fellow GOP contenders continued to publicly rebuke his earlier criticisms of Netanyahu following the deadly Hamas attacks.

Trump, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname, took to his Truth Social platform and posted “#IStandWithIsrael” and “#IStandWithBibi.”

This marked a notable shift from his previous comments during a Florida rally, where he had accused Netanyahu of letting the United States down prior to the U.S. killing a top Iranian general. He had also questioned the performance of U.S. intelligence agencies, urging them to “step up their game.” Trump had described Hezbollah, a group feared by Israel for a potential large-scale attack from the north, as “very smart.”

These remarks had drawn strong condemnation from the White House and Trump’s fellow GOP contenders, who generally avoided direct confrontations with the former president due to his significant popularity within the party.

By Thursday, Trump’s team appeared to be in damage control mode, issuing statements that emphasized his prior support for Israel. In one of these statements, Trump claimed, “There was no better friend or ally of Israel than President Donald J. Trump.” He also lauded the Israeli soldiers engaged in fighting Hamas in response to the surprise attack on October 7, an assault that has led to at least 3,200 casualties on both sides.

While Trump and Netanyahu had worked closely during Trump’s presidency, their relationship soured after Netanyahu congratulated President-elect Biden on his 2020 election victory while Trump was still contesting the results. Trump, as described in a book about his Middle East peace efforts, used explicit language to criticize Netanyahu, emphasizing the importance of loyalty.

Trump’s spokesperson, Steven Cheung, denied any walk-back, instead highlighting Trump’s track record on Israel during his presidency, including the relocation of the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem and the Abraham Accords. Cheung stressed that “There was no bigger advocate and defender of Israel than President Trump.”

Nevertheless, Trump’s GOP rivals persisted in their criticism. Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, campaigning in New Hampshire, described the former president’s comments as “reckless and irresponsible.” He asserted that American leaders should unequivocally express support for Israel, and Trump’s criticism of Prime Minister Netanyahu and praise for Hezbollah was incomprehensible.

Nikki Haley, Trump’s former ambassador to the United Nations, emphasized the need for a president who can distinguish between good and evil, suggesting that Trump’s remarks showed a lack of such discernment. She criticized his compliments to Hezbollah and the Chinese Communist Party and his critique of a country that had recently witnessed significant bloodshed.

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a longtime critic of Trump, labeled the former president as “a fool” and pointed to Trump’s lingering resentment toward Prime Minister Netanyahu for congratulating Joe Biden in 2020 as the root of his recent comments. Christie questioned whether the country could afford a president who, during a crisis, was primarily concerned with himself.

{Matzav.com}