Nikki Haley in Israel: Hamas Massacre, Kidnapping Aided by Iran, Russia, China
SDEROT, Israel – Nikki Haley came to Israel last weekend on a week-long solidarity visit.
Shortly after she arrived, CBN News joined her on her trip to southern Israel to see and experience the devastation Hamas terrorists perpetrated last October 7th.
Haley visited the city of Sderot where she spoke to journalists about her trip and U.S.-Israel ties.
“I always tell people when they're in Israel to kiss the ground for me because I truly believe this is sacred ground,” Haley declared. “We need to remember that what happened on October 7th is not sacred. What happened on October 7th was pure evil. And what happened on October 7th can never be forgotten.”
An empty lot in Sderot is the site of the Sderot police station. On October 7th, terrorists infiltrated and took over the building, killing all the police officers inside.
Israeli soldiers had to destroy the building to kill the terrorists.
At the site, Haley said, “We want to see a friendship between the United States and Israel that's unwavering because we know we have the same enemies.”
Sderot Mayor Alon Davidi welcomed Haley and pledged that Israel would continue the war in Gaza.
“We will destroy Hamas. We will bring back the hostages that are in Gaza and we will then change the future – not just for us, for all our neighborhood. To do it, we need to be strong. And I am so happy that you are here. I know that you all support Israel. You love the Jewish nation and the State of Israel,” Davidi told her.
Hosted by Knesset member and Former Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon, Haley and her husband Michael started the day at Kibbutz Nir Oz, one of the hardest-hit communities last October.
“And as we went through that kibbutz, she recalled, “what we saw was home after home after home that wasn't just destroyed. But every house we walked into was a total nightmare because you saw a family that struggled for their life.”
She continued, “And the things that happened in those homes in that community is something no one should ever think of. These were people who were burned alive. These were children who were killed. These were women that were raped. All of that (in) house after house. And what was very clear was they knew what they were doing.”
At the Nova Music Festival site, where there was an intense dust storm during the visit, the Haley’s met with a festival survivor.
“All I could think about was my kids, because my kids could have been at that concert, “Haley explained. “And what you saw was where there were a lot of kids that should have been having fun and listening to music and loving their life. Out of nowhere, they heard gunshots, they saw parachutes coming in. And the next thing they knew, it was sheer terror.
Speaking to those she called her Israeli brothers and sisters, Haley said Americans would continue to mourn for every lost life and fight and pray for the return of all the Hamas-held hostages.
She cautioned, “But what I will tell all Israelis: don't listen to the media bites that you hear. America is with you. Americans are with you. We are connected to you. And what happened on October 7th hurt us all.”
She added, “It's still personal. Twelve hundred people were brutally murdered. Thirty-two of them were Americans, (and) eight American hostages. But those numbers blend because we're all together in this.”
The former U.N. ambassador believes Hamas wasn’t the only perpetrator of the massacre.
“It’s clear that this took years to plan. But make no mistake. This is one of the most brutal massacres I have ever experienced, heard about, seen the damages of.”
She then pointed out who she believes aided and abetted Hamas. “It was orchestrated by Iran. It was helped with Russian intelligence. And it was fueled by money from China. Don't deny that China has 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.”
Haley contends the war isn’t only against Israel, but also America.
“These heroic Israeli soldiers are fighting America's enemies. They didn't just say ‘death to Israel.’ They're saying, ‘Death to America.’ We have to wake up to that.”
In an apparent swipe at the Biden administration and the European foreign policy establishment, Haley said, “This isn't going to go away by some political agreement. This isn't going to go away just because somebody wants it to. This is only going to go away when we acknowledge the truth.”
Haley says the U.S. needs to embolden Israel and not the terrorists – and that it’s time to make a choice.
“So, if there was ever a time that we needed unity between those countries who believe in freedom and democracy and put faith in life, now is that time,” she stated. “There is no gray between Hamas and Iran and the Palestinians that took place, and freedom-loving citizens in the world who want peace.”
She challenged the world to choose a side.
“My side's going to be the one where we know (that) if we all want to have moral clarity, we have to speak for those who can no longer speak. We have to fight for those who could no longer fight. This (massacre and kidnapping) shouldn't have happened. But we can never let this happen again. And if you think it's only going to be in Israel – if we are arrogant enough, this could absolutely happen in America, too. And that's the moral of the story. I hope that everybody takes that away,” she concluded.
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