Former US President and current presidential candidate Donald Trump welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara at Mar-a-Lago on Friday. During their meeting, Trump expressed concerns that ongoing global conflicts could escalate into a Third World War if he loses the 2024 presidential race. Trump emphasized that his re-election would be crucial in preventing such a catastrophic outcome, asserting that the world is currently closer to a Third World War than at any time since the Second World War due to what he termed as “incompetent people running the country.”
The US presidential elections are scheduled for November 5, 2024. Trump criticized his political rival Kamala Harris, claiming she is less competent in handling Middle Eastern affairs. This comes after Harris met Netanyahu on Thursday, urging for a cease-fire in Gaza. US President Joe Biden also met with Netanyahu, advocating for the same issue. Trump’s remarks suggested that his victory in the upcoming election would bring a swift resolution to current conflicts, implying that a failure to secure his win could result in major wars in the Middle East and potentially a global war.
Kamala Harris, in her comments following her meeting with Netanyahu, reiterated her commitment to ensuring Israel’s ability to defend itself against threats from Iran and Iran-backed militias such as Hamas and Hezbollah. However, Harris’s condemnation of Israel’s actions in Gaza reportedly upset Netanyahu. According to Axios, Netanyahu was agitated by Harris’s mention of civilian deaths in Gaza and the dire humanitarian situation there.
An Israeli official mentioned that Netanyahu believes the alignment between the US and Israel is crucial for increasing the chances of a hostage deal and decreasing the likelihood of regional escalation. The differing approaches of the US political leaders highlight the complexity and sensitivity of Middle Eastern geopolitics as the 2024 US presidential election approaches.