Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump delivered a scathing critique of his Democratic rivals and vowed to pursue peace in the Middle East if he is reelected, during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida on Friday.
This meeting capped a week of high-profile interactions for Netanyahu, who addressed the US Congress, met with President Joe Biden, and engaged in a contentious discussion with Vice President Kamala Harris, who had criticized him over the Gaza situation during their previous day’s meeting.
Trump, sitting across from Netanyahu, labeled current US leaders as “incompetent,” and went so far as to describe Harris as even worse than Biden. “If we win, it will be very simple. Everything is going to work out, and very quickly,” Trump asserted. “If we don’t, you could end up with major wars in the Middle East and maybe a third world war.”
Following the meeting, Trump’s campaign issued a statement affirming his commitment to working towards Middle Eastern peace and combating anti-Semitism on US college campuses should he return to the White House.
During their visit to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, Trump and Netanyahu exchanged warm greetings, with Trump kissing Netanyahu’s wife, Sara, on both cheeks and shaking hands with the prime minister. Netanyahu posted a photo online showing himself holding a “TOTAL VICTORY” hat—a symbol of his commitment to defeating Hamas in Gaza—while standing next to Trump.
In stark contrast, Netanyahu’s meeting with Vice President Harris on Thursday was marked by sharp criticism. Harris demanded a resolution to the Gaza conflict and asserted she would not remain “silent” about the humanitarian crisis there. She described the situation in Gaza as “devastating,” highlighting the images of dead children and displaced individuals.
The ongoing conflict has seen over nine months of Israeli operations against Hamas, following an October attack that resulted in 1,197 Israeli deaths, mostly civilians, according to official Israeli figures. In response, over 39,175 Palestinians have died in Israel’s retaliatory actions, according to Hamas-run Gaza’s health ministry.
Netanyahu’s relationship with Trump was notably warmer compared to his interactions with Biden, who has been critical of Israeli actions in Gaza and the pace of US weapons shipments to Israel. In his congressional address, Netanyahu expressed gratitude for Trump’s support, citing Trump’s recognition of Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, his stance against Iranian aggression, and the relocation of the US embassy to Jerusalem.
(France24)