(NewsNation) — Former President Donald Trump said Vice President Kamala Harris “hates Israel” and that she ditched Netanyahu’s congressional address for a “sorority party.”
Harris denied that she hates Israel and called Trump “weak and wrong” on foreign policy and national security, saying he admires dictators. She also quoted Trump saying Putin could do whatever he wants and calling Putin’s invasion of Ukraine brilliant.
She said dictators are rooting for Trump to be reelected because they can manipulate him with flattery and favors. Harris said that is why military leaders who worked with Trump called him a disgrace.
When asked how to handle the war in the Middle East, Harris said that Israel has a right to defend itself, citing the Oct. 7 attacks, while also saying that too many Palestinian civilians have been killed during fighting in Gaza.
She said the war must end, there must be a cease-fire deal, and the hostages must be released by Hamas. Harris said the Biden administration is working around the clock for a deal and said there must be a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Trump responded that the war would never have started if he was president and claimed the war in Ukraine would not have started either.
Trump said there was no money for terror when he was president, saying Iran could not fund proxy groups under his administration, though Iran has been funding those groups for decades. He did not address the moderator’s question about how he would negotiate with Israel and bring an end to the war in Gaza.
Here’s what Trump and Harris have said and done beyond the debate:
Trump
- Hasn’t announced plans regarding the Israel-Hamas war if reelected in 2024.
- Suggested the war will just have to “play out.”
- Said during an October Fox News interview, “We need to protect Israel. There is no choice.”
- Has positioned himself as a strong ally to Israel while being critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
- Told Israel’s intelligence agencies to “step up their game.”
Harris
- Harris called for an “immediate cease-fire” in Gaza in March, describing the situation as a “humanitarian catastrophe,” the New York Times reported.
- She said Hamas’ threat to Israel “must be eliminated” but added that “too many innocent Palestinians have been killed.”
- She opposed an Israeli invasion of Rafah, southern Gaza, where over a million people had fled. “I have studied the maps. There’s nowhere for those folks to go,” she said, noting about 1.5 million people were there after being told to go.
- Harris has repeatedly expressed support for a two-state solution.
NewsNation Digital contributed to this report.
