Trump’s View on Israel ‘Not What We Need in a President,’ Haley Says in NH

CONCORD, N.H. — Donald Trump’s praise for Hezbollah militants and his criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu make him the wrong choice for president, Nikki Haley said during a campaign stop at the New Hampshire State House on Friday morning.

“To go and give credit to Hezbollah, to go and congratulate the Chinese Communist Party and to go and criticize the head of a country who just saw massive bloodshed? No, that's not what we need in a president,” Haley, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told reporters. “What we need in a president is someone who knows the difference between good and evil, who knows the difference between right and wrong.” 

Haley came to Concord to file for the New Hampshire Republican primary ballot just days after attacks by Hamas killed more than 1,300 people in Israel, including at least 25 Americans. Nearly 1,400 Palestinians have been killed by airstrikes amid the bloody conflict.

During a press conference in the secretary of state’s office, Haley criticized Trump for his comments on Hezbollah after the attacks in Israel. The Republican primary field is often reluctant to speak out against Trump, for fear of alienating his supporters, but his comments on Israel have been condemned by several of his opponents.

Trump referred to Hezbollah, a terror group, as “very smart” at a Florida rally. He also told the crowd that “I’ll never forget that Bibi Netanyahu let us down.” The former president was met with swift pushback from the White House and several of his Republican primary opponents. 

Haley also took a swing at Vivek Ramaswamy, another GOP primary hopeful, tying him to progressive Democrats in Congress. Ramaswamy defended Trump’s comments in a statement to POLITICO this week. 

“Ramaswamy sounds like The Squad. And there's no place for The Squad or Ramaswamy in their comments, whether it's related to Israel or Hezbollah or any of that. You don't congratulate or give any credit to murderers. Period. You don’t,” Haley said. “What you do is you call them out and you don't do just words, you do action. That's what Israel is trying to do. We need to have Israel's back.” 

Haley said she sent a message of support to Netanyahu against Hamas, saying “finish them,” and has been in touch with Danny Damon, Israel’s former ambassador to the United Nations.