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Trump chastises Israel during Florida rally, saying Israelis should ‘strengthen themselves up’
(JTA) — Former president Donald Trump touted himself as “the best friend Israel has ever had” while criticizing Israel’s leadership during a speech in Florida on Thursday night in response to Hamas’ attack on Israel.
Trump also praised Hezbollah as “very smart” and suggested that if he were still president of the United States, Saturday’s attack would not have happened.
“If the election wasn’t rigged there would be nobody even thinking about going into Israel,” he said, alluding to his false claim that he was the rightful winner of the 2020 presidential election. He was speaking at a rally held by Club 47 USA, a group formed to support his 2024 presidential bid.
Some of Trump’s criticism gave voice to concerns that many Israelis have also expressed since the surprise attack that resulted in thousands of the country’s citizens killed, wounded and taken captive.
“Say what you want, Israel was not ready. This was a big surprise. This was a terrible thing that happened. They weren’t ready,” he said.
But he signaled that his criticism was driven in part by resentment about Israel’s role in the January 2020 strike in which the United States killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, who controlled an Iranian force that has ties with Hamas and Hezbollah.
Israelis have confirmed that they contributed intelligence to the planning of the raid. But Trump’s retelling this week — he shared the story on a podcast earlier — suggested that they had considered and eschewed additional involvement. He said he remained disappointed.
“I will never forget that Bibi Netanyahu let us down,” he said. “That was a very terrible thing.”
Speaking about Israel’s future as it faces threats on multiple fronts, he said Israeli leaders would need to do a better job.
“They cannot play games,” he continued, adding, “They’ve got to strengthen themselves up.”
Trump’s comments drew criticism from at least one of his fellow Republican candidates for president, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Trump is has a commanding lead in the polls among a crowded pack of Republican contenders to unseat President Joe Biden, whom Trump criticized during his speech as inviting “chaos and terror.”
Biden has responded to the attack on Israel by vowing support, providing military aid, condemning Hamas as delivering “pure, unadulterated evil” and deploying U.S. aircraft carriers to the region as a deterrent against other enemies.
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The post Trump chastises Israel during Florida rally, saying Israelis should ‘strengthen themselves up’ appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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Iran Showcases New, Advanced Missile Systems Amid US Threat
Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during a meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, Oct. 23, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov
i24 News – The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp revealed their latest missile systems on Saturday, which have been deployed on three different Iranian islands.
This comes amid increased US pressure to return to the negotiation table over Iran’s nuclear ambitions, with US President Donald Trump implementing a return to his “maximum pressure” policy.
Commodore Alireza Tangsiri, the head of the IRGC’s naval force, threatened that “the enemy would be beaten” in the event of a military confrontation. He boasted missile units, submarines, unmanned aircraft, and defense systems deployed in the Strait of Hormuz, located in the Persian Gulf, and in the islands in the region.
A new hangar was revealed in one of the sites that contains the new missile systems. According to the IRGC, these missiles have the ability to destroy maritime targets up to 600 kilometers (373 miles) from their deployment sites.
Last week, a US official told i24NEWS that Trump gave Khamenei a two-month ultimatum to reach a nuclear agreement. National Security Council Spokesperson Brian Hughes threatened “devastating” results.
Therefore, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attacked Donald Trump in a speech he made, saying “I will not negotiate with you even under threats.” This, after a few days prior, Trump wrote a letter to Iran, asking to restart negotiations on the nuclear issue.
The post Iran Showcases New, Advanced Missile Systems Amid US Threat first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Houthis Falsely Claim to Successfully Hit Ben Gurion Airport, USS Harry Truman
Newly recruited fighters who joined a Houthi military force intended to be sent to fight in support of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, march during a parade in Sanaa, Yemen, Dec. 2, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
i24 News – The Houthis claimed on Sunday that they targeted Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport with their alleged hypersonic Palestine 2 ballistic missile, with the strike “successfully achieving its goal.”
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree boasted that air traffic at the airport was suspended for more than half an hour.
Additionally, Saree claimed Houthi forces launched missiles and drones at the American aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman in the Red Sea with missiles and drones. There is no indication that this attack succeeded, contrary to the Houthi statement.
At around 7:30 am, sirens blared throughout central Israel, with no injuries reported. The IDF said that a Houthi missile had been intercepted successfully outside of Israeli airspace.
This comes after the Houthis restarted their attacks on the Jewish state last week, triggering sirens in central Israel and the Jerusalem area.
Meanwhile, the US Central Command began an offensive against high-level Houthis and terrorist infrastructure in Yemen. US President Donald Trump has also stated that he will hold Iran responsible for any attack emanating from the Houthis.
The post Houthis Falsely Claim to Successfully Hit Ben Gurion Airport, USS Harry Truman first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Hamas: Senior Official Salah al-Bardawil Killed in Khan Yunis Strike
Senior Hamas leader Salah al-Bardawil. Photo: File.
i24 News – Hamas confirmed on Sunday that Salah al-Bardawil, a member of its political bureau, had been killed in an Israeli air strike in Khan Younis, in the south of the Gaza Strip.
His wife also perished in the attack. This targeted killing, initially reported by the Palestinian press agency Shehab, affiliated with Hamas, is said to have targeted “tents sheltering displaced persons.” The Israeli authorities have not yet commented on the reports.
This strike is part of a series of targeted operations carried out by Israel against the Hamas leadership. Over the weekend, the Israeli army and Shin Bet security agency also announced that they had eliminated Osama Tabash, who was the chief of military intelligence for Hamas in southern Gaza and led the organization’s surveillance and targeting unit.
According to the joint statement from the army and Shin Bet, Tabash was a “high-ranking terrorist” who possessed “significant operational knowledge for the terrorist organization.” He had held various positions of importance, including that of battalion commander in the Khan Yunis brigade.
The Israeli services attribute to him involvement in several attacks, including a suicide bombing carried out in 2005 at the Gush Katif crossroads in Gaza, which cost the life of Oded Sharon. In his recent roles, Tabash was responsible for developing the Hamas combat strategy and had participated in planning infiltrations during the massacre on October 7 in the Israeli communities in the south of the country.
The post Hamas: Senior Official Salah al-Bardawil Killed in Khan Yunis Strike first appeared on Algemeiner.com.