Trump says ‘Israel is gone’ if Harris wins

Former President Trump told Jewish Republicans in Nevada that “Israel is gone” if Vice President Harris wins the 2024 presidential election.

“I will work with you to make sure Israel is with us for thousands of years,” the ex-president said during his satellite address to the Republican Jewish Coalition’s annual conference on Thursday in Las Vegas.

“You’re not going to have an Israel if she becomes president … Israel will no longer exist.”

Trump attempted to persuade more Jewish voters to support him in November while slamming the Biden-Harris administration, arguing it is holding Israel back in the country’s 11-month war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

“If they win, Israel is gone,” he said during his roughly 15-minute speech. “Just remember that. If they win, Israel is gone. You can forget about Israel, that’s what’s going to happen. So they have to get out on Nov. 5 and they have to vote for Trump. If they don’t, I think it’s going to be a very terrible situation.”

The GOP nominee, again, suggested that Jewish voters who back Harris should have to have their “head examined,” adding the Biden-Harris administration has “been very bad to” them.

Back in March, Trump claimed that Democrats “hate Israel” and the Jewish voters who support Democrats hate their religion. He has gone after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) over the senator’s criticism of the way Israel has handled the ongoing war, saying the top-ranked Jewish Democrat has “become like a Palestinian.”

The Harris campaign fired back after the Thursday remarks, arguing that Trump “demeans” Jewish Americans and that he would turn on Israel if it would benefit him personally.

“Donald Trump openly demeans Jewish Americans, proudly dined with a neo-Nazi, and reportedly thinks Adolf Hitler ‘did some good things,’” Harris-Walz campaign spokesperson Morgan Finkelstein said in a statement.

“He has said the only people he wants counting his money are ‘short guys wearing yarmulkes,’ and praised neo-Nazis who chanted ‘Jews will not replace us’ as ‘very fine people.’ Donald Trump has made it obvious he would turn on Israel in a moment if it suited his personal interests, and in fact he has done so in the past.”

Finkelstein added that Harris has been a “lifelong supporter” of Israel and has been committed to ensuring the Jewish state’s security.

“She has an unwavering commitment to the security of Israel and will always stand up for its right to defend itself,” Finkelstein continued. “She also stands steadfastly against antisemitism both at home and abroad and will do the same as President.”

During his address, the former president offered condolences to Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s family. Hersh, an Israeli-American, was one of the six hostages whom Hamas killed last week. It appeared that initially, he mentioned him as “Hersh Goldman.”

“We pray that God will grant comfort, healing and peace,” he said.

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