In an interview late last month, Donald Trump appeared to place the blame for the spike in antisemitism on Israel and suggested that its response to the October 7 terrorist attacks was a “big mistake,” ABC News reported.
In an interview with the Israeli outlet Israel Hayom, Trump said he would have responded to the October 7 attack in the same way Israel did but suggested that the wave of antisemitism that followed was due to Israel fighting back.
Trump described Israel’s response as a “very big mistake” and said when he saw the footage and photos of destroyed buildings in Gaza, he wanted to call Israeli officials and tell them not to do it.
When reminded that the buildings destroyed by the IDF were being used by Hamas terrorists, Trump said the IDF should have gone in to “do what you have to do” without doing that.
Trump warned that Israel was losing the support of the rest of the world and urged it to “finish up” the war and “get the job done” so it could move on to establishing peace and “a normal life for Israel” and “everybody else.”
When asked how he would have responded to a terrorist attack like the October 7 attack, Trump admitted that he would have done the same thing Israel did, explaining it would have been “crazy not to.”
Trump also blamed President Biden for the October 7 attack, explaining that Hamas had no respect for Biden.
He also suggested that Israel should improve its “public relations,” arguing that support for Israel in the United States was previously much stronger.
In a statement to ABC News, the Trump campaign said Trump had been clear that he supported Israel’s right to self-defense and its mission to eliminate Hamas. The campaign stated that Trump also believed that it would be best for Israel to complete its military operations “quickly, decisively, and humanely” so peace and stability could return to the region.
