During a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago resort on Friday, President Trump warned that conflicts in the Middle East could escalate into a third World War if he loses the 2024 election.
Netanyahu traveled to Florida after meeting with Biden and Kamala Harris in Washington, D.C., following his address to Congress on Wednesday. At Mar-a-Lago, Trump criticized Harris, calling her “worse” than Biden on Middle East issues, and suggested that Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza could expand into a wider regional conflict if she succeeds Biden, who recently announced he would not seek re-election.
“We'll see how it goes. But if it all works out, if we win, it'll be very simple. It's all going to work out. And very quickly,” Trump said. “If we don't, you're going to end up with major wars in the Middle East. And maybe a third World War. You are closer to a third World War right now than at any time since the Second World War. We've never been so close because we have incompetent people running the country.”
Trump's comments came amid reports of a diplomatic flare-up between Harris and Netanyahu after their meeting on Thursday. Harris emphasized that the U.S. would ensure Israel's ability to defend itself against threats from Iran and its proxies, including Hamas and Hezbollah. She also expressed concern over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the death of innocent civilians, calling for an end to the war and the release of all hostages held by Hamas.
Netanyahu, reportedly irked by Harris' criticism of Israel's conduct in Gaza, responded by reiterating that Israel aims for a cease-fire deal but emphasized that fighting would continue until Hamas is eliminated.
“We're trying to get one. And I think, to the extent that Hamas understands that there's no daylight between Israel and the United States, that expedites the deal. And I hope that those comments don't change that,” Netanyahu said.
The Mar-a-Lago meeting was the first face-to-face contact between Netanyahu and Trump since 2020.
Netanyahu, seeking to mend ties and secure Trump's support for Israel, presented Trump with a photo of one of the Bibas toddlers, who are still held captive by Hamas in Gaza. “Wow, that's very moving,” Trump said, accepting the photograph. “We'll get that taken care of.”
Protesters gathered in West Palm Beach to greet Netanyahu, mirroring the pro-Hamas demonstrations that took place during his visit to Washington, D.C. Netanyahu accused Iran of funding the protests and criticized the demonstrators in his address to Congress.
“I have a message for these protesters. When the tyrants of Tehran, who hang gays from cranes and murder women for not covering their hair, are praising, promoting and funding you, you have officially become Iran's useful idiots,” Netanyahu said.
