Haley lashes Ramaswamy at Republican debate

(TIMES OF ISRAEL, AGENCIES) – Republican presidential candidates Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy sparred over Israel during the first primary debate of the 2024 US election cycle on Wednesday.

Ramaswamy, a technology entrepreneur and long-shot contender, said last week that the US should reduce its aid to Israel, separating himself from other Republican candidates.

Haley attacked him for the comments during the debate hosted by Fox News in Milwaukee.

“He wants to hand Ukraine to Russia, he wants to let China eat Taiwan, he wants to go and stop funding Israel. You don’t do that to friends, what you do instead is you have the backs of your friends,” said Haley, who has long been a staunch supporter of the Jewish State, including as the US ambassador to the UN under former president Donald Trump.

“You want to go and defund Israel,” Haley said. “You have no foreign policy experience and it shows.”

Ramaswamy responded, saying, “Our relationship with Israel would never be stronger than by the end of my first term, but it’s not a client relationship, it’s a friendship and you know what friends do? Friends help each other stand on their own two feet.

“I will lead Abraham Accords 2.0, I will partner with Israel to make sure Iran never is nuclear armed,” he said, highlighting his past visits to Israel.

“You know what I love about them, I love their border policies, I love their tough-on-crime policies, I love that they have a national identity and an Iron Dome to protect their homeland, so yes I want to learn from the friends that we’re supporting,” Ramaswamy said.

“No, you want to cut the aid off and let me tell you it’s not that Israel needs America, it’s that America needs Israel. They’re on the frontline of defence to Iran,” Haley said, drawing applause from the crowd.

Eight presidential candidates took the stage for a debate that was overshadowed by Trump, who opted not to attend, instead doing an interview with former Fox News star Tucker Carlson that was posted online minutes before the debate got underway.

Trump’s snubbing of the debate deprived his rivals, all trailing far behind him in polls, of the opportunity to take shots at him live on stage.

Ramaswamy, a 38-year-old political newcomer, has crept up in recent polls, leading to his position next to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at centrestage.

Also on stage were Trump’s former vice-president Mike Pence, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum and former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson, who appeared to be wearing a lapel pin with the US and Israeli flags.

The debate focused on domestic issues including Trump, abortion, education, border security and crime.

Ukraine was the top foreign policy issue. Most of the candidates vowed to support Ukraine in its war with Russia, although Ramaswamy was a notable exception.