Republican presidential candidates have rushed to Israel’s defense following the Hamas terrorist attacks, listing immediate actions they believe the U.S. should take to assist the ally as the war wages on.
Republican presidential candidates have rushed to Israel’s defense following the Hamas terrorist attacks, listing immediate actions they believe the U.S. should take to assist the ally as the war wages on.
Israel began its counteroffensive in Gaza following Saturday’s terrorist attacks that have led to thousands of dead Israelis and Palestinians, as well as at least 27 Americans, and many others in hostage by Hamas. The GOP presidential hopefuls called for various forms of immediate action the U.S. should take, including providing aid to Israel, freezing the $6 billion President Joe Biden recently promised Iran in exchange for American prisoners and imposing sanctions on Iran.
“We must not only stand with Israel, but we must support them as they hunt down and eradicate these barbarians. Israel, with the full support of the United States, should kill Hamas members and extinguish their entire infrastructure,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wrote in a Monday tweet. “America must immediately do three things: (i) freeze any money Joe Biden has made available to Iran; (ii) cut off any and all types of foreign aid flowing to Hamas; and (iii) immediately shut down America’s wide-open southern border to ensure we are in a position to better protect Americans here at home from these real threats.”
After the Biden administration signed off on sending $6 billion to Iran on Sept. 11 in exchange for five American prisoners, it will reportedly stop Iran from accessing the funds following the Hamas terrorist attacks.
Along with taking back the $6 billion, DeSantis said Thursday that he would “impose the tightest possible sanctions on Iran” to prevent the country from “fueling terrorism.”
Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley also called for freezing the $6 billion, and proposed it be redirected toward Israel instead. The former ambassador then suggested imposing sanctions on Iran and those who purchase their oil.
“Israel needs our help in this battle of good vs. evil,” Haley wrote in a tweet laying out her plan.
The former ambassador said the U.S. should “provide Israel with all arms and intelligence it needs to defend itself and destroy the terrorists in its midst,” “place all regional governments, particularly the government of Lebanon, on notice that they must not allow the use of their territory to engage in this battle” and “end American taxpayer support for all Palestinian entities or United Nations-backed entities that side with Hamas or fail to denounce antisemitic activity.
