Former US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley spoke on Sunday at the annual summit of Christians United for Israel (CUFI).
In her remarks, Haley pointed out that it is not Israel which is responsible for Palestinian Arabs suffering but rather the Hamas terrorist organization, which hides behind innocent civilians when it fires rockets at Israeli cities and towns.
“The Israeli people stand strong… because you cannot destroy what God has blessed. And God has blessed Israel and her people. The spirit of the Israeli people is as contagious as ever. They continue to live each day like it’s their last. Israelis refuse to live in fear, because they know that fear is a victory for terrorism,” she said, stressing, “Israelis will never let the terrorists win.”
“What other country has the courage to form a new government under the shadow of war? Israel continues to be a beacon of freedom, not only to the Middle East, but to the whole world.”
“Now, you know as well as I do that Israel is under fire for defending itself. The United Nations has tried three times in the past two months to pin the blame on Israel while giving Hamas a free pass. It’s ignorant, it’s insulting, and it’s utterly immoral,” charged Haley.
She pointed out that “Israel has done everything it can to protect Palestinian lives. There’s a reason for that. Despite what they say at the United Nations, in real life, the Israeli people want peace and work for peace, every single day. But the terrorists are blocking the path.”
“The leaders of Hamas are truly evil men, who do truly awful things... Time and again we see these terrorists hide behind women and children. Compare that to the Israelis, who stand in front of innocent people and protect them,” said Haley.
“It’s the leaders of Hamas who want Palestinians to suffer because it strengthens their grip on power. Israel isn’t responsible for Palestinian suffering. Hamas is responsible for Palestinian suffering. Innocent Palestinians deserve better than to be ruled by terrorists,” she stated.
“When we were thinking about leaving the Human Rights Council, a European ambassador told me America had to stay because we were the last ounce of credibility it had. That was all I needed to hear. I went to the White House & told President Trump that we had to get out–immediately,” she recalled.
Haley pointed out that the ayatollahs in Iran “have said exactly what they want, and it comes down to six words: ‘Death to America, Death to Israel.’”
“Iran is fighting tirelessly to make this vision a reality. Going back decades, it has spent billions of dollars building up terrorist armies to take down Israel.”
“Iran is the sugar daddy of Hamas. The 11-day war that Israel just fought wasn’t just with Hamas. Israel was fighting against Iranian weapons, Iranian money, and Iranian-trained terrorists. Everyone knows it.”
On the Iran nuclear deal, Haley said that it not only gave money to terrorists, but also “failed to block Iran’s pathway to nuclear weapons. We were right to hit Iran with the harshest sanctions in history. And we were absolutely right to get out of the Iran nuclear deal.”
“I hope and pray the White House changes course, fast. Now is the time to put more pressure on Iran, not less. there is never a time to sign a deal with a devil who wants to destroy America and Israel,” she added.
“Iran is at the center of the hatred of the Jewish people in the modern world. Hatred of the Jewish people must be pointed out and punished every time it rears its ugly head.”
“These dangerous times only reinforce the reality that Israel is essential. Without it, the Jewish people would be, once again, at the mercy of those who want to destroy them.”
“The American people should be proud to stand with Israel. We are leading the fight for what’s right, and we face the future together. And with courage and faith, we go forward to meet that future – confident that our work will be rewarded, in this life, and the next,” said Haley.