Nikki Haley, friend of Israel, announces 2024 US presidential bid

Former South Carolina Governor and UN Ambassador Nikki Haley announced her 2024 presidential bid on Tuesday.

Haley has a well-known reputation for being a friend of Israel. During her Senate confirmation hearing, she stated: “Nowhere has the UN’s failure been more consistent and more outrageous than in its bias against our close ally Israel.” 

Haley has been expected to make her bid for a while.

Prior to her role as UN ambassador, Haley proved her friendship to Israel by passing the first U.S. anti-BDS legislation, while serving as governor of South Carolina.

The move made Haley popular both inside and outside of Israel, with Haley earning good favor with many Republicans – especially Republican Jews – in the U.S.

Haley made a reference to Israel during her campaign launch on Wednesday, once again promising to “stand with our allies from Israel to Ukraine against Iran and Russia.”

Many Israelis appreciate that support.  

“Nikki Haley was a huge supporter of Israel when she was the American UN ambassador,” said Yoseph Haddad, CEO of Together–Vouch for Each Other, in an interview with Sky News Australia.”

“I can honestly tell you, a few years ago I said that I hope Nikki Haley would run and become a president, the first female president of the United States,” Haddad said, “and I can definitely tell you that she will be a very, very close friend of Israel, no doubt.” 

Former Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon also praised Haley for her ongoing support of Israel. 

“Today my good friend Nikki Haley announced that she is running for President of the United States of America. Nikki is a true friend of the State of Israel and I have no doubt that she will always stand by our side. Likewise, Israel will always be the closest ally of the United States. Good luck, Nikki!” Danon said.

Danon’s tenure at the UN overlapped with Haley’s and the two formed a good friendship, with Danon even hosting Haley for Shabbat dinner at his home. 

“We will always remember what she did at the UN when she stood with me against evil — when she put moral clarity in the front lines of the UN,” he said. 

Haley remained consistent in her support of Israel even after leaving office. Last year, speaking at the Christians United for Israel’s (CUFI) 17th Annual Washington Summit, Haley said Iran’s nuclear program should be stopped and, “if America won’t, then Israel must – and we should help them.”

With many Republican Jews cooling to Donald Trump and his 2024 presidential bid after he met with openly anti-Semitic figures Kanye West and Nick Fuentes, Haley could draw their support.

An article in The Forward provided three reasons why U.S. Jews should be enthusiastic about Haley, identifying the areas of foreign policy, school choice and religious liberty as key strengths that endear her to Republican Jewish voters.

Complicating matters for Haley, is a possible presidential run by former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, also well-known for his support of Israel

While Pompeo has not yet announced a run for president, he is believed to be readying his own campaign.

In a recent interview on the One Decision podcast, Pompeo stated that Israel is not an occupying force because it has “a biblical claim” on Judea and Samaria, also known as the West Bank. He said that the land of Israel “is the rightful homeland of the Jewish people.”