Nikki Haley, who is seeking the Republican presidential nomination in the 2024 elections, reiterated her support for Israel on Tuesday, as she answered online questions from young voters on Fox News.
“Israel is a great partner to us. It's a bright spot in a tough neighborhood and too many people think that Israel needs America. That's not the case, America needs Israel,” explained Haley.
“They are the front lines of defense for Iran. What we need to do is remind everybody hate is hate, whether it's racism, whether it's antisemitism. There is no place for it and it needs to be dealt with that way.”
“And so on college campuses, if they don't have programs designed to combat hate, and that includes antisemitism, their funding should be pulled - that simple,” said Haley.
“When you have this rhetoric, when you allow an Iranian, the President, to go and spew hate from the UN world stage after we gave $6 billion to them, that's what you get. You'll have a president who remembers Israel and US are best friends and we're going to keep it that way.”
Haley is known for being a staunch supporter of Israel, and has regularly stressed that the Jewish state has a right to defend itself from terrorism.
Several months ago, Haley addressed a special audience of Jewish leaders and community members in Montreal, Canada, in which she stressed the importance of the role of the United States in the Middle East, and the impact that had on stability in the region.
“The only way peace happens in the Middle East is if the US stands strongly and steadfastly with Israel,” she said at the time, adding, “A strong America prevents war. At the end of the day, it’s about leadership, and America has to demonstrate that leadership, including absolute support for its allies like Israel.”