Chris Christie, the former governor of New Jersey who is challenging Donald J. Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, criticized Mr. Trump’s rhetoric of intolerance and its impact on the surge of bigotry facing Jews and Muslims after the recent attack on Israel by Hamas. Christie also denounced Mr. Trump’s support for Israel’s right-wing government, arguing that it only achieved superficial progress in Middle Eastern diplomacy. He further accused Mr. Trump of lacking intellectual curiosity and ambition in foreign policy, which resulted in the abandonment of the pursuit of peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
In an interview during his visit to Israel, Christie expressed his admiration for President Biden’s handling of the Israel-Gaza crisis and his efforts to secure a peace agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia. He blamed Mr. Trump for causing divisions within the Democratic Party over Israel and accused him of seizing political opportunities without any principles.
Christie acknowledged the significance of Mr. Trump’s peace agreements between Israel and Arab countries, known as the Abraham Accords, but emphasized that they did not address the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He argued that the pursuit of Israeli-Palestinian peace had been forgotten during Mr. Trump’s presidency.
Regarding the recent hostilities in Israel, Christie acknowledged larger geopolitical dynamics involving Iran, Russia, and China. He warned against solely focusing on immediate retaliation and degradation of Hamas, urging a more comprehensive and long-term perspective.
Christie also criticized Mr. Trump’s rhetoric, stating that while he did not think Trump is antisemitic, his intolerance towards everyone contributed to the rise in bigotry. He dismissed Trump’s claims of having Jewish family members as a convenient excuse to avoid addressing the issue.
Overall, Christie offered a scathing assessment of Mr. Trump’s Middle East policy, highlighting the lack of progress in achieving lasting peace and the negative consequences of his rhetoric.