In a display of unwavering support for Israel, GOP presidential nominee-hopefuls, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, anti-woke businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, Sen. Tim Scott(R-SC), former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, came together at the third Republican presidential debate to emphasize the need for decisive action against the terrorist organization Hamas.

When asked about his opinion on the issue, DeSantis didn’t mince words when he called on Israel to “finish the job once and for all with these butchers of Hamas.” He described Hamas as “terrorists” who are “massacring innocent people” and expressed concerns about their intentions to wipe out the Jewish population. 

DeSantis’ message was clear – Israel must defend itself against this imminent threat.

The Florida governor went further to criticize the media and others for unjustly blaming Israel for defending itself. “I’m sick of hearing the media; I’m sick of hearing other people blame Israel just for defending itself. We will stand with Israel in word and in deed, in public and in private,” he declared, proudly recounting his efforts to bring stranded Americans back from Israel after an attack.

Haley echoed DeSantis’s sentiments, emphasizing the need to “eliminate Hamas” and to provide unwavering support to Israel. She made the compelling argument that Iran plays a significant role in funding terrorism in the region, stating, “There would be no Hamas without Iran. There would be no Hezbollah without Iran. There would not be the Houthis without Iran. And there wouldn’t be the Iranian militias in Syria and Iraq that are trying to hit our military men and women if it hadn’t been for Iran.”

When it was his turn to speak, Ramaswamy supported Israel’s right to deal with Hamas without restraint, emphasizing that Israel’s founding vision was self-reliance in defense. He pledged to “smoke those terrorists” on the U.S. southern border if he becomes president while encouraging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “smoke those terrorists on his southern border.”

Like his opponents, Scott emphasized Israel’s right and responsibility to eliminate Hamas, advocating for strong support from America. He criticized President Joe Biden’s “diplomacy-only” approach, calling it a “weak strategy” and highlighting the dangers of appeasement.

“From President Obama to President Biden – Obama sent millions to Iran. Frankly, President Biden has sent billions to Iran. That is why I’ve said there is blood dripping from the hands of President Obama and President Biden,” he stated.

The senator went on to stress the need to address Iran as the root of the problem, emphasizing that military action against Iran would be necessary to stop attacks on military personnel in the Middle East. “As president of the United States, my foreign policy is simple: you cannot negotiate with evil. You have to destroy it,” he opined.

Christie, who was the last to speak, also condemned the aggression of groups like Hamas, which seek to erase Israel from the map. He pointed out that Israel’s military and intelligence communities must work together more effectively to prevent further atrocities like the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, which Hamas officials have pledged to repeat again.