Former President Donald Trump has come under fire for his recent remarks on Israeli intelligence and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In an interview with ‘The Brian Kilmeade Show,’ Trump discussed the Hamas terror attacks in Israel, the House speaker vacancy, and RFK Jr. running as an independent. However, an Israeli official criticized Trump’s comments, labeling them as “shameful” and accusing him of spreading propaganda that harms Israel’s fighters and citizens.
Shlomo Karhi, a member of the Knesset in the Likud party and serving as Israel’s minister of communications, expressed his disappointment in Trump’s remarks, stating, “We don’t have to bother with him and the nonsense he spouts.” Karhi also highlighted that Trump’s comments make it clear that he cannot be relied upon. The Israeli official’s remarks reflect a growing criticism of Trump’s statements on Israeli intelligence.
Trump’s speech in Florida on Israel also drew condemnation from both Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is competing against Trump for the 2024 presidential election, and the Biden administration. Trump criticized Israeli intelligence for failing to detect the recent Hamas terror operation in advance and blamed the Biden administration for signaling Israel’s vulnerability to Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.
Referring to Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Trump stated, “They have a national defense minister or somebody saying, ‘I hope Hezbollah doesn’t attack us from the north.’ So the following morning, they attacked… If you listen to this jerk, you would attack from the north because he said, ‘That’s our weak spot.'” Trump also praised Hezbollah for closely following the words of American and Israeli officials, calling them “very smart.”
A spokesperson for Trump’s campaign clarified that the former president was highlighting the incompetence of the Biden administration in telegraphing to terrorists an area susceptible to attack. However, critics argue that Trump’s remarks were dangerous and unhinged, with White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates categorizing them as such.
In addition to criticizing Israeli intelligence, Trump also took a swipe at Netanyahu, accusing the Israeli leader of backing out at the last minute from the Trump administration’s plan to kill Iran’s top security and intelligence commander, Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani. Trump referred to this as a “very terrible thing” and promised that if he regains office, the United States will fully support Israel in defeating and dismantling Hamas.
Both Trump’s remarks and the Hamas terror attacks have sparked strong reactions from various politicians and officials. While Republicans and Trump supporters view his criticisms as necessary and important, Democrats and the Biden administration condemn his statements and express solidarity with Israel against Hamas’ atrocities.
As the 2024 presidential campaign trail heats up, Trump’s remarks on Israeli intelligence and the response from Israeli officials and political opponents are likely to continue to generate debate and discussion.
