'You’re right, world is wrong,' former US Ambassador Nikki Haley tells Israelis
“We love you and we stand with you, and everything that you are doing, you’re doing right. It’s everybody else that’s wrong in this, not the people of Israel.”
Reassuring words came from the former U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley while speaking to journalists this week on a trip to Sderot, the southern Israeli city fiercely attacked by Hamas terrorists on Oct 7.
“Three thousand Hamas terrorists broke the barrier – 3,000,” she emphasized, “on Israel’s holiest day, during Shabbat.
“They broke the barrier…but that’s not all who came. Thousands of Palestinian citizens came, and robbed and killed and murdered, and went back and came back again. The reason this is important is you hear about Hamas, but there’s an entire generation of Palestinians who are now entrenched with that Hamas ideology."
“This isn’t going to go away by some political agreement. This isn’t going to go away just because somebody wants it to. This is only going to go away when we acknowledge the truth,” Haley said with what her host, Knesset Member Danny Danon, called characteristic “moral clarity.”
Haley met with other high-level officials on Wednesday, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who thanked the former U.S. ambassador for her long-standing support of the Jewish state, especially during this challenging time.
“You’ve been a tremendous supporter of our efforts and our struggle at all times, and especially in trying times like these. I think you have championed the one and simple thing that is absolutely essential, which is an Israeli victory,” Netanyahu said.
Immediately after the news broke of the Hamas atrocities on Oct. 7, Haley told U.S. media that it was also an attack on America. In her meeting this week, she reiterated her position.
“I come here to let you know that the majority of Americans stand with Israel. And on October 7 it wasn’t just Israelis who mourned. Americans mourned as well. But a win for Israel is a win for America," Haley said.
“Israel is fighting America’s enemies, and I will say to you and to anybody in Israel: Tune out the noise. You know what your job is. Let’s get the hostages home, let’s beat Hamas, let’s make sure Lebanon knows not to try or do anything."
“What too many people don’t know is that Hezbollah is striking every single day to Israel and it’s unacceptable. If this had happened to any other country, no other country would do anything less than what Israel is doing."
“Israel continues to be so careful about every human life,” she said, addressing various allegations recently brought to international courts. “Any country that is free and believes in democracy needs to be standing with you.”
Netanyahu agreed that Israel and America are fighting the same enemy.
“I want you to know how much we appreciate the fact that you are standing with us, and so do the majority of the American people, [who] understand that those who want to kill us want to kill you. Those who chant ‘Death to Israel’ also chant ‘Death to America,’” the prime minister said, having lived in the U.S. for several years himself.
“So our victory is your victory. The most important thing is to make sure that the right of free societies, beginning with Israel - but also the United States and everything in between - have the right to defend themselves. And that’s why those sanctions on the ICC are so important. Thank you.”
Netanyahu highlighted the recent push by a bipartisan group of U.S. senators to introduce legislation imposing sanctions on those involved in the arrest warrant issued against him and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
In March, Haley left the primary race for the Republican nominee after losing 15 out of 16 states to former U.S. President Donald Trump. During her bid, she spoke strongly against the Iranian regime.
“They (Iran) only respond to strength. You’ve got to punch them and punch them hard. The way you do that is to go after their infrastructure in Syria and Iraq…that’s when they’ll back off,” she said during the final Republican presidential debate.
There is reason to believe that the former ambassador may be auditioning for the new role of secretary of state after the U.S. elections.
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The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.