Republican presidential candidates unite with calls to destroy Hamas

Republican presidential candidates voiced unequivocal support for Israel in the war during a presidential primary debate on Wednesday, saying Hamas needed to be destroyed.

“Finish the job once and for all with these butchers Hamas,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said. “I said finish them, finish them,” Nikki Haley said.

“Wipe Hamas off of the map,” South Carolina Senator Tim Scott added, while former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie pledged “America is here no matter what it is you need at any time to preserve the state of Israel.”

The war has divided US public opinion, with Washington DC witnessing the largest pro-Palestine rally in history. However, the comments by Republican presidential contenders underscore how support for Israel in the war continues to be a popular stance with a wide swath of the US public ahead of the 2024 election.

Former President Donald Trump, who is not participating in the Republican primary debates, but is leading US President Joe Biden in most major swing states, has also called for Hamas to be destroyed, and said he would impose a travel ban on the group’s sympathisers.

While President Joe Biden is under pressure from many members of his Democratic Party to rein in Israel and push for a ceasefire, the Republican rhetoric underscores the pressure he may face in a general election to continue backing Israel.

The number of Americans who consider Israel a US ally actually jumped after Hamas’ surprise attack, increasing from 32 percent in August  to 44 percent in November, according to a poll conducted by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

40 percent of Americans say US support for Israel has gone too far, but combined, roughly 60 percent of Americans believe US support for Israel is just right or hasn’t gone far enough. 

Within the Democratic Party however, 58 percent say the support has gone too far, compared with just 18 percent of Republicans.