Ron DeSantis is equating Hamas attacks on Israel to the terror attacks on the U.S. on Sept. 11, 2001.
“So this is the equivalent for Israel of probably what happened in the United States in September 11th. This is probably the worst attack Israel has faced since the Yom Kippur war in 1973. And certainly one of the greatest attacks in the history of the modern state of Israel. So we’re standing with them. It’s important that in America we all acknowledge and support their right to defend themselves,” DeSantis said Saturday in Iowa.
The Governor also chided President Joe Biden for not responding as quickly as DeSantis would have liked.
“He said that he was up at like 7 30 in the morning. But you know, this was happening late, late last night into the early morning and you know, President needs to be there answering the call when our top ally in the Middle East is under the gun and you can’t be sleeping on the job, you gotta get there, you gotta do it. And then you got to engage and I think that so we need to see leadership here,” DeSantis said.
The Governor also talked to to an Israeli governmental official in the wake of Saturday’s shocking terror attack from Hamas.
According to the Executive Office of the Governor, Ron DeSantis spoke with Consul General Maor Elbez-Starinsky in between campaign stops in Iowa Saturday.
The Governor’s call comes after a series of strong statements defending the Israeli position.
“Israel is now under attack. I stand with Israel. America stands with Israel,” DeSantis said in Ankeny.
“Not only do they have a right to defend themselves. They have a duty to defend themselves against these Iranian backed Hamas terrorists. Iran has helped fund this war against Israel and Joe Biden’s policies that have gone easy on Iran has helped to fill their coffers. Israel is now paying the price for those policies. We’re going to stand with the state of Israel. They need to root out Hamas and we need to stand up to Iran,” he added.
The Governor made similar statements ahead of the rally.
“The dastardly terrorist attacks perpetrated against innocent Israeli civilians by Iran-backed terror group Hamas deserve a swift and lethal response. Israel not only has the right to defend itself against these attacks, it has a duty to respond with overwhelming force. I stand with Israel. America must stand with Israel,” he said.
“Iran has helped fund this war against Israel and Joe Biden’s policies that have gone easy on Iran has helped to fill their coffers. Israel is now paying the price for those policies. We’re going to stand with the state of Israel. They need to root out Hamas and we need to stand up to Iran,” he added in a video statement.
DeSantis was in Israel earlier this year, when he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as part of a worldwide trip just before the Florida Governor officially announced his presidential campaign.
That was his second trip to the country as Governor.
Back in 2019, DeSantis called the Israeli Prime Minister, whose leadership position was in flux given coalition challenges at the time, “a great friend of Florida” and “a model of strong leadership for Israel throughout the course of his tenure in public service.”
He also weighed in on the ongoing conflict with Palestinians, questioning whether they actually wanted their own state.
“The one constant throughout the modern history of the Middle East and the State of Israel is that Palestinian Arabs always wanted to get rid of the Jewish state more than they wanted their own state,” the Governor said.
“I don’t think that’s really changed. I think there has been a lot of effort for peace — and they’ve been rejected,” DeSantis added. “If you do not respect Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state, you are the impediment to peace.”
The post Ron DeSantis likens Hamas attack on Israel to 9/11 appeared first on Florida Politics – Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..