The five Republican primary candidates made clear in the third debate, held this Wednesday in Miami, their unwavering support for Israel and their right to “wipe Hamas off the map”, while showing their rejection of the displays of anti-Semitism experienced. on some university campuses in the US.
“Israel has to finish its job once and for all and eliminate Hamas,” which are nothing more than “terrorists who slaughter” innocents, and the United States “needs Israel, not the other way around,” defended Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and former US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley.
The third Republican debate was marked in its first part by the attacks on Donald Trump, the great favorite in the Republican primary race, the defense of Israel and its “responsibility to defend itself”, the threat of anti-Semitism and Iran and the withdrawal of federal funds to universities that allow anti-Israel displays on their campuses.
“Israel must protect its territorial integrity and its people. Hamas wants to destroy Israel,” a few words from former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, which were culminated with Haley’s intervention: “An enemy is not responded to with fear, but with force.” And that’s the only way Iran will stop,” the country they accused of being behind the terrorist attack in Israel.
For this reason, Senator Tim Scott assured that “Iran is the head of the snake, and it must be cut off.”
Regarding the displays of anti-Semitism by some groups on university campuses in the United States, it is a “symptom of a deeper cancer, that we are lost (…) and we need to restore the founding values” of the nation, he said. , for his part, the businessman of Indian origin Vivek Ramaswamy.
Faced with this, DeSantis, second favorite in the polls, was in favor of applying a tough hand by canceling federal funds to those universities that remain silent or condone actions against Israel.
Also, “cancel the visas” of foreign students who support anti-Semitic demonstrations, “expel” them to their countries of origin, he said, to emphasize that what is detected in the United States is not “Islamophobia, without anti-Semitism.”
Haley was also very critical of the anti-Semitism that has been unleashed in the world, a phenomenon equivalent to the Ku Klux Klan. And she warned that one of the cries of Hamas militants is: “Death to Israel and death to the United States.”
The Adrianne Arsht Center in downtown Miami, in southern Florida (USA), hosts the third Republican debate tonight with the participation of five candidates and the great absence of the clear favorite in the primary process of this party, Donald Trump, who has preferred to hold a parallel event in Hialeah, 8 miles (12 km.) from the event headquarters.