Former US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley spent Sunday in southern Israel, where she witnessed first hand the destruction caused from the recent Hamas war.
“Israelis have a right to defend themselves,” she said during a visit to one Ashkelon home. “We will make sure we are loud about what the root cause of this [war] is. Israelis deserve to be safe in their homes.”
Haley arrived in the country on Friday, spending Shabbat in Jerusalem, including a visit to the Western Wall.“No matter the challenges, the people of Israel always celebrate life and thank God for their blessings,” Haley tweeted Saturday with a picture of herself praying at the Kotel. “It’s humbling to join them again in prayer at such a holy place.”
No matter the challenges, the people of Israel always celebrate life and thank God for their blessings. It's humbling to join them again in prayer at such a holy place. pic.twitter.com/XGCtb2aFhG
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) June 12, 2021
Her trip was organized as a solidarity mission in collaboration with Christians United for Israel (CUFI), the largest pro-Israel Evangelical group in the United States, under the auspices of founder and chairman Pastor John Hagee.The organization’s co-executive directors – the pastor’s wife Diana Hagee and Shari Dollinger – are also accompanying Hagee and Haley on the mission, as is the pastor’s daughter, Sandra.On Sunday, Haley spent the morning meeting with residents of Ashkelon and Sderot whose homes had been destroyed by Hamas rocket attacks. In the afternoon, she visited an Iron Dome anti-missile battery where she was briefed by top IDF officials, traveled to a strategic outlook near the Gaza border and visited a military base there.
Haley said that she was “angry” because Hamas aims to kill innocent civilians while Israel seeks only to defend itself.
“The idea that Israelis have to defend themselves over and over while a terrorist organization runs free and is able to attack innocent civilians” is “unthinkable, unacceptable,” she said.
“It shouldn’t be Israel fighting alone,” Haley continued. “It should always be that the world is united against any terrorist organization. Tell me where there is a government office here; show me an Israeli government official. This was them trying to hurt the heart of Israel – the people.”
The former ambassador fell short of condemning US President Joe Biden’s reaction to the recent security escalation between Israel and Hamas, but told The Jerusalem Post that the president’s reaction was not one to be “appreciated.”
“If you had 4,500 rockets that went into [Washington] DC, if any of our allies said they think we need to see restraint on both sides, I don’t think we would be very appreciative,” she said in response to a question by the Post as to whether Biden did enough to support Israel during the escalation.
She also called out the United Nations when she looked around the tattered home and said, “this is a civilian area. Where is the [UN] Security Council? Where is every government that believes in democracy and freedom?”
She said that any country “that believes we need to get rid of terrorist organizations around the world” should stand up for Israel.
Hagee reconfirmed his organization’s unequivocal stance against rejoining the Iranian nuclear deal – the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – which CUFI has said would empower the Islamic Republic and harm Israel.
The Biden administration has made clear it is interested in reentering the deal that was abandoned by then president Donald Trump three years ago.
Hagee said that Iran will use American money to build rockets.
“This reign of terror is being made possible by Iran, which sponsors Hamas and Hezbollah,” Hagee said on Sunday. “Hamas is a terrorist regime and any time America gives money to Iran, Iran will take that money and make rockets and give them to Hamas so that rockets fall on Israel.”
He warned the American people that “we need to be very cautious about our relationship with Iran and we need to stand by Israel in a more definitive way, a more forceful way, so this nation [Israel] can have free borders and the freedom to do as they like to protect their citizens from the evil empire of Iran.”
Haley is the fourth Republican political leader to arrive in the country since the Hamas ceasefire at the end of last month. The others include former secretary of state Mike Pompeo, Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (South Carolina).
Haley is expected to run in the primaries ahead of the 2024 presidential election, although she has not made any kind of formal announcement.
On Monday, she has meetings set up with top officials in Jerusalem.