Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and former Governor of South Carolina Nikki Haley got a boost in the national polls after the second GOP presidential primary debate, putting her in a tie for second place with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. (Both candidates trail frontrunner Donald Trump, who enjoys a sizable lead.)
In the new campaign video below, DeSantis says: “No U.S. tax dollars to the Gaza Strip. Hamas is holding American hostages and Biden wants to fund them? I challenge every Republican running to step up to the plate and oppose Biden’s $100 million gift to Hamas.”
Haley replied: “We did this in 2018 when we eliminated U.S. aid to UNRWA. Welcome to the fight. Actions > Talk.”
We did this in 2018 when we eliminated U.S. aid to UNRWA. Welcome to the fight.
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) October 18, 2023
Actions > Talk https://t.co/RgpB1FljAj
UNRWA is the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. It is a relief and human development agency that works in Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank. It is funded by UN Member States including the U.S., E.U., Germany, Canada, UK, France and Switzerland, among others.
As seen in the 2018 video below, then-UN Ambassador Haley explained why the U.S. cut off aid — which has since been recommitted.
She called UNRWA “a political arm that claims to serve Palestinians” and needs to be reformed. Up until that point, the U.S. had “given $6 billion” to the organization.
Haley said: “There is no one who has given more money to the Palestinians than the United States,” and noted that “UNRWA shouldn’t be taking care of the people in Gaza, the Palestinian Authority should be taking care of the people in Gaza,” and that the U.S. would much rather deal with the Palestinian Authority and Jordan than the UNRWA.
The DeSantis War Room replied to Haley by quoting her in 2017 on the funding: “There’s also good that comes out” of giving U.S. tax dollars to Gaza. “You do see value in it” Haley said Americans “need” to fund their education: “There’s no other place for them to get it.”
(More than half of UNRWA’s budget is dedicated to education.)
Haley in 2017: “There’s also good that comes out" of giving U.S. tax dollars to Gaza. “You do see value in it"
— DeSantis War Room 🐊 (@DeSantisWarRoom) October 19, 2023
Haley said Americans "need" to fund their education: "There’s no other place for them to get it"pic.twitter.com/Z4SloJPYo5
[Note: DeSantis recently criticized Gaza’s school textbooks: “Most people in Gaza do support Hamas but the culture there is one where they teach kids to hate Jews. The textbooks don’t have Israel on the map.” He adds: “They’re basically trained in a way where this is embedded in their culture.”]
DeSantis and Haley will be live on the topic again when NBC News hosts the Republican National Committee’s third presidential debate on Wednesday, November 8.
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