Former US President Trump giving a speech on the 11th in West Palm Beach, Florida/Rebecca Blackwell/AP
2023.10.13 Fri posted at 11:59 JST
Washington (CNN) Former US President Donald Trump harshly criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the 13th. He expressed the view that the prime minister was caught off guard by the attack by Hamas, the Islamic organization that effectively controls the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian autonomous region. However, he praised the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, calling it “very smart.”
This comment reflects the deterioration in relations between Mr. Trump and Mr. Netanyahu, and also stands in sharp contrast to the situation in which Republican candidates for the U.S. presidential election are all taking positions that firmly support Mr. Netanyahu.
In an interview with Fox News broadcast on the 11th, Trump pointed out that Netanyahu had suffered a great loss from the attack. He stressed that neither he nor Israel were prepared for the attack.
Former US President Trump gives a speech on the 11th in West Palm Beach, Florida, US.
He also mentioned this issue at an election event in Florida held on the same day. He indicated that if he were to confirm intelligence, he would discuss the contents and any deficiencies that occurred over the past week and resolve the issue.
He described Hezbollah as “malicious and clever.” The United States and its allies have warned Hezbollah not to escalate the conflict between Hamas and Israel.
Mr. Trump had shown a strong friendship with Mr. Netanyahu during his term as president, but since Mr. Netanyahu recognized Mr. Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election, he has remained hostile to Mr. Netanyahu.
Although Netanyahu was congratulated when he returned as prime minister at the end of last year, hostility has not abated. This was confirmed to CNN by multiple sources familiar with Trump’s thinking.
Trump has always believed that Netanyahu should not have made comments about Biden’s victory, and at an event on the 10th he once again made false claims about fraud in the 2020 presidential election.
He also suggested that the attack by Hamas would not have occurred if he had been president. He told his supporters: “If the presidential election had not been rigged, no one would have thought of invading Israel.”
Trump harshly criticizes Netanyahu
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2023-10-13 02:59:00
