Former U.S. President Donald Trump has criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over what he described as a lack of preparation for a recent attack by Palestinian Hamas militants.
The attack, one of the most devastating in Israel’s history, resulted in the deaths of at least 1,200 people.
Trump, who is leading the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, blamed Netanyahu for his handling of the recent attack on Israel in an interview with Fox News.
He claimed that Netanyahu and Israel were caught off guard by the attack, which he said would not have happened under his administration.
“He was not prepared. He was not prepared, and Israel was not prepared. And under Trump, they wouldn’t have had to be prepared,” Trump said.
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The attack, which targeted several Israeli cities and killed dozens of civilians, was one of the worst in Israel’s history. Israel responded with air strikes on Gaza that have killed more than a thousand Palestinians.
Trump’s remarks drew criticism from one of his rivals in the Republican contest, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. DeSantis defended Israel as a friend and ally and called Trump’s comments absurd.
“It is absurd that anyone, much less someone running for President, would choose now to attack our friend and ally, Israel,” DeSantis wrote on social media.
Trump and Netanyahu had a close relationship during Trump’s presidency, but their bond has weakened in recent times. Trump continued to comment on Israel’s security situation at a rally in Florida on Wednesday night. He said Israel needed to “straighten it out” because it was facing a potential threat from Iran.
“They’ve gotta straighten it out because they’re fighting potentially a very big force; they’re fighting potentially with Iran,” Trump said.
These comments come at a time when Israel is still reeling from the impact of the attack and the loss of lives.