2024 Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley condemned President Joe Biden as causing the war in Israel and putting the United States’s national security at risk as conflict rages after militant group Hamas’s surprise weekend attack and questions linger over whether Iran was involved.
The former United Nations ambassador, who has used her experience to compare herself with less seasoned foreign policy 2024 candidates such as entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, took perhaps her strongest stance on foreign affairs yet on the campaign trail, leaving no ambiguity by saying, “Our national security is at risk.”
WHAT IS HAMAS, AND WHO IS THE COMMANDER KNOWN AS ‘THE GUEST’ BEHIND THE TERROR ATTACK ON ISRAEL?
“This is true evil that we’re seeing. And the top of that ticket, Joe Biden is the one that’s allowing all of these Democrats to act this way. Because he did this to us,” Haley told Hannity, citing Biden’s unfreezing of billions of dollars to Iran. “He is the one that took off and has been silent the last couple of days when we have nine Americans, maybe 11 Americans that are hostages or died in this situation, and I’m sure there is more.”
In a statement to the Washington Examiner on Monday, Haley, who is also the former governor of South Carolina, called for immediate action to destroy Hamas, likening the war in Israel to “a battle between the civilized world and barbarians.” She also said that Hamas is “only a small symptom of a larger disease,” with Iran, Russia, and China working together to attack “Americans, American allies, and American values.”
Haley was credited as the “Iran whisperer” while Donald Trump was in the White House. During her tenure as ambassador, Haley was a vocal advocate for leaving the Iranian nuclear deal and introduced a resolution to the U.N. that condemned Hamas, which was supported by the majority of the intergovernmental organization.
While foreign policy is rarely at the forefront of voters’ minds, especially compared with so-called kitchen table topics such as the economy, Haley has been lauded for her work during the Republican primary debates for being articulate, direct, and knowledgeable about how she sees the best global route forward to advance America’s interests.
“A thousand of our greatest allies’ citizens died. And what are we doing? Not enough,” Haley continued on Fox News. “We need to be there and let every terrorist know, we are going to hold hands with Israel, we are going to be there with them. … It is time for America to pull this together. It is time for America to stop all these silly games, silly distractions and get to work for the American people because our national security is at risk and our friends are at risk, and we are watching that happen right now, and it’s a tragedy.”
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Nearly 1,600 people in Israel and Palestine have died after Hamas launched a devastating surprise attack against Israel on Saturday. Hamas is believed to have 150 hostages and has vowed to execute them if Israel targets Palestinian civilians without warning.
The conflict has reignited the international dialogue surrounding Israel and Palestine, with Biden receiving renewed scrutiny over his foreign policy, his “weakness” globally, and his relationship with Israel.