US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has said he will support the Israeli government in its war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas if he reclaims the White House in November.
The former president, who was speaking at a press conference on Thursday at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, lashed out at his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris, for “always demanding ceasefire.”
“When I’m back in the Oval Office, I will support Israel’s right to win its war on terror. They have to have a right to win the war,” he said.
If Harris wins the election “the radical left flag burners and Hamas sympathizers will not just be causing chaos on our streets. They’ll be running US foreign policy in the White House, and Israel will be gone,” Trump argued.
He went on to say he would “give Israel the support that it needs to win” but that he wants them to “win fast.”
Asked by reporters when he had last spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said they haven’t talked since they met last month at Trump’s Florida golf resort.
“I expect I might be talking to him, but I haven’t since then,” Trump added.
Axios reported earlier, citing sources, that Trump spoke on the phone with Netanyahu on Wednesday and discussed the Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal. Trump’s call was intended to encourage Netanyahu to take the deal, according to one of the sources.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office later issued a statement denying that such a phone call took place. Trump said in an interview with Fox News last month that Israel needs to end the war in Gaza as soon as possible and bring back the US hostages.
Trump has previously claimed that Harris, who is married to a Jewish man, “dislikes Jewish people and Israel even more than Biden did.” Harris has previously called for a ceasefire in Gaza, but her campaign said last week she would not support an arms embargo on Israel and will “always ensure Israel is able to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups.”
A fresh wave of hostilities between Israel and Hamas broke out last October after the militant group launched a surprise incursion into southern Israel from Gaza, resulting in the deaths of around 1,100 people, while 200 others were taken hostage. The massive Israeli response has claimed over 40,000 lives, while another 92,401 people have been wounded, according to Palestinian health officials.