From the Liveblog of
Monday, May 27, 2024
Nikki Haley visits Gaza border communities, blames China, Russia and Iran for October 7
Sam Sokol is the Times of Israel's political correspondent. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
Touring communities affected by the October 7 massacre, former US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley blames Russia and China for the devastation wrought by Hamas.
Accompanied by Likud MK Danny Danon, Haley warns that “if you think this will only be in Israel, if we are arrogant enough this could absolutely happen in America too.”
Haley asserts that October 7 was “orchestrated by Iran. It was helped with Russian intelligence. And it was fueled by money from China. Don’t deny that.” She does not offer evidence.
“China’s been funding Iran the entire time. Russia’s intelligence helped them know where everything was. Iran helped get them trained. So this isn’t Hamas. These are all murderers and accomplices,” she says in the empty lot where the Sderot police station stood before being destroyed in the attack. “If we really mean it’s never going to happen again, we have to be honest and truthful with ourselves who did this.”
The trip by the former South Carolina governor comes as speculation has ramped up that she may be angling for a spot on the Republican ticket as vice president to Donald Trump, whom she lost to in the presidential primary. Candidates often visit Israel to burnish their foreign policy credentials.
Haley says that while she will not criticize a sitting US president while abroad, “the sure way to not help Israel is to withhold weapons,” referring to US President Joe Biden’s recent decision to restrict arms transfers.
