Israeli minister says Trump’s comments ‘wound the spirit of Israel’s fighters’

Israel’s communications minister said recent comments by former President Trump criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and complimenting the Hezbollah militant group “wound the spirit of Israel’s fighters and its citizens.”

Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi told Israel’s Channel 13 it is “shameful that a man like that, a former U.S. president, abets propaganda and disseminates things that wound the spirit of Israel’s fighters and its citizens,” according to The Associated Press.

“We don’t have to bother with him and the nonsense he spouts,” Karhi added.

Trump’s comments Wednesday night came amid deadly fighting between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which began with a surprise attack by Hamas on Saturday that killed hundreds of Israelis. Israel has been pounding the Gaza Strip with aerial attacks this week in response and has promised to eliminate Hamas.

Trump accused Netanyahu of failing to cooperate on a U.S. drone strike that killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the notorious head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, but later claiming credit for the attack.

“We had everything all set to go, and the night before it happened, I got a call that Israel will not be participating in this attack,” Trump said at a rally in Florida.

“We were disappointed by that. Very disappointed,” he added. “But we did the job ourselves, with absolute precision … and then Bibi tried to take credit for it.”

The former president has also faced criticism for calling a different militant group, Hezbollah, “very smart” at the same rally in Florida. Hezbollah reportedly fired an anti-tank missile at Israeli army positions this week, and Israel has launched aerial strikes in response.

Republican figures, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a fellow 2024 presidential contender, have joined the Biden administration in slamming Trump over the remarks.

“Terrorists have murdered at least 1,200 Israelis and 22 Americans and are holding more hostage, so it is absurd that anyone, much less someone running for President, would choose now to attack our friend and ally, Israel, much less praise Hezbollah terrorists as ‘very smart,’” DeSantis wrote Wednesday in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“Our nation’s support for Israel is resolute and unwavering,” Biden wrote on X, along with a clip of Trump’s speech. “And the right time to praise the terrorists who seek to destroy them is never.”

The Associated Press contributed.