During his fervent speech to the Israeli Knesset on Monday, President Donald Trump took the opportunity to address his political adversaries, including a jab at Hillary Clinton and critiques of former presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama.
Trump, present at the Knesset to discuss the recent cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas, accused the two former Democratic presidents of harboring “hostility” towards Israel.
“All the nations in the Middle East that could have achieved what we are accomplishing now could have done so much earlier, had it not been hindered and adversely affected by the Obama and Biden administrations,” Trump stated to the gathered Israeli officials.
“There was animosity towards Israel,” he further commented.
“I can assure you, nobody invited Joe Biden to speak,” he added.
This criticism followed Trump’s praise for the recent resolution of the hostages-for-prisoners exchange and his promise that the upcoming phase of his strategy would bring enduring peace to Gaza.
“We had a very frail administration,” Trump remarked, referring specifically to Biden’s leadership.
“He is undoubtedly the worst president our country has ever seen, and Obama was not too far behind, by the way,” he declared.
He also linked some of the region’s most violent episodes to the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement.
“The problems began in earnest when President Obama signed the nuclear deal with Iran,” Trump said to the assembly.
“This was a catastrophe for Israel and detrimental to everyone involved.”
Trump asserted that Arab leaders have come to recognize the rejuvenation of the US under his administration.
“I heard it directly from the King of Saudi Arabia, then from the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and many other nations. A year ago, the United States was stagnant. Now it’s the most dynamic country in the world—without a doubt,” he remarked.
<pTrump then reflected on his 2016 contest with Clinton.
“Everyone predicted I would be warlike. I recall Hillary Clinton during a debate saying, ‘Look at him; he’s going to wage war against everyone!’” Trump recalled.
“But when you manage to resolve eight conflicts in eight months, that indicates you’re not in favor of war!”
Clinton, speaking on CBS News recently as the peace agreement was being honored, expressed a more conciliatory view, stating: “This is a truly meaningful first step, and I commend Trump and his team.”
Trump’s criticisms coincided with a moment of victory for his administration.
Earlier that day, the last surviving Israeli hostages were liberated as part of the initial phase of his widely-praised 20-point peace initiative, which also encompassed a cease-fire and reciprocal prisoner releases.
Inside the Knesset, attendees celebrated Trump enthusiastically as he proclaimed the “end of an era characterized by terror and violence” and positioned the Gaza agreement as potentially “the best deal ever.”
Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana hailed Trump as a “giant” and a “colossus in Jewish history,” while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to him as “the greatest ally Israel has ever had in the Oval Office.”
The Post has reached out to Obama, Biden, and Clinton for comments.
