Trump’s criticism of Israel’s Netanyahu draws strong condemnation from GOP rivals

By JILL COLVIN and ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Several of former President Donald Trump’s Republican rivals are denouncing him for lashing out at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu days after Hamas’ deadly attack. Thursday marked a rare moment in which multiple Trump rivals directly criticized the GOP front-runner. Trump told a rally on Wednesday that Netanyahu “let us down” just before the U.S. killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in 2020. He also said Israeli leaders needed to “step up their game” and referred to Hezbollah, the group Israel fears may launch a large-scale attack from the country’s north, as “very smart.”