Donald Trump, former U.S. president and Republican presidential candidate, looks on at the Club 47 USA event in West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., October 11, 2023. REUTERS FILE PHOTO
Former U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over what he described as a lack of preparation for a weekend attack by Palestinian Hamas militants that killed at least 1,200 people in Israel.
Speaking to Fox 好色先生TV, Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, said Netanyahu 鈥渉as been hurt very badly鈥� due to the attack.
鈥淗e was not prepared. He was not prepared and Israel was not prepared. And under Trump, they wouldn鈥檛 have had to be prepared,鈥� he said.
Trump鈥檚 comments came as Israel was still collecting its dead and reeling from one of the most devastating attacks in its history. It has retaliated with air strikes on Gaza that have killed at least 1,200 Palestinians.
One of Trump鈥檚 opponents in the Republican contest, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, criticized the former president over the comments.
鈥�(It) is absurd that anyone, much less someone running for President, would choose now to attack our friend and ally, Israel,鈥� DeSantis wrote on social media.
Trump and Netanyahu had a close relationship during Trump鈥檚 time as president, though cracks have appeared in their once ironclad rapport.
Speaking to supporters in Florida on Wednesday evening, Trump again commented on Israeli security preparedness, pointing to 鈥渟ome of the things that went wrong over the last week鈥�.
Trump added: 鈥淭hey鈥檝e gotta straighten it out because they鈥檙e fighting potentially a very big force, they鈥檙e fighting potentially with Iran.鈥�