Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump has only been to Israel once in his entire life, but that doesn’t mean he will not support Israel when it comes to defending itself from Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

In fact, considering Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a good friend of his will help the Republican hopeful to support such an act, in spite of United States policy.

In a substantive foreign-policy-driven interview on the Hugh Hewitt radio show on Thursday, Trump was asked if Israel acts unilaterally against Iran in face of the Iran nuclear deal, will hr unequivocally stand by that action?

“Of course, I will,” Trump responded. “He’s a friend of mine. I did commercials for his reelection… he’s a good man, and I would absolutely stand with him.”

Trump further boasted that Netanyahu was actually moved by his endorsement in the 2013 Knesset elections. “According to what he said, I’m the only celebrity, he’s used the word celebrity, this was a while ago, that did commercials, that he asked to do commercials,” he told the radio host.

He somehow suggested that non other than the prime minister called him and asked if he would “do an ad or a statement” to support his 3rd reelection campaign. “I was called by Bibi and his people, who I think tremendous, really fantastic about,” Trump told Shalom TV at the time. “I said absolutely. They sent a crew in from Israel, and they taped me doing a statement.”

“My name is Donald Trump and I’m a big fan of Israel,” Trump said in the 36-second video, recorded in his office. “You truly have a great prime minister in Benjamin Netanyahu — there’s nobody like him,” he opines. “He’s a winner. He’s highly respected. He’s highly thought of by all. And people really do have great, great respect for what’s happened in Israel.. So vote for Benjamin. Terrific guy, terrific leader. Great for Israel.”

However, the guy who produced the video, Jonny Daniels, owner of  an Israeli public relations firm JDPR, told this reporter that the video was his idea and had no connection with the Likud campaign. Daniels said that he has known Trump for a couple of years, and that he was the one who approached him and his chief political consultant, Michael Cohen, knowing of his affection and admiration for Netanyahu. “He is a big, big fan of the prime minister, he likes his leadership style and he was willing to do whatever he could do to help,” Daniels said. Adding that nobody from the Likud Party or Netanyahu’s campaign has contacted him.

During the interview with Hewitt on Thursday, Trump also got into a back and forth odd argument over Hezbollah and Hamas, suggesting that asking a question about the difference between Hamas and Hezbollah was a “gotcha” and “ridiculous” question.

Hewitt, who will be one of the moderators at the next GOP presidential debate on CNN, asked the Republican frontrunner if he could tell the difference between Hezbollah and Hamas or Hassan Nasrallah and Khalid al-Masri, and if it would be considered a gotcha question?

“Yes, I do. I totally do. I think it’s ridiculous,” Trump responded. “When you start throwing around names of people and where they live and give me their address, I think it’s ridiculous, and I think it’s totally worthless.”

“And by the way, the names you just mentioned, they probably won’t even be there in six months or a year,” he further suggested. “And you know what? In that case, first day in office, or before then, right at the day after the election, I’ll know more about it than you will ever know. That I can tell you… Believe me, it won’t matter. I will know far more than you know within 24 hours after I get the job.”

Read a transcript of Trump’s interview on the Middle East, and his readiness to serve as Commander in Chief on Islamic terrorism, below (via hughhewitt.com):

HH: You know, I’d buy that, because you’re a builder. But on the front of Islamist terrorism, I’m looking for the next commander-in-chief, to know who Hassan Nasrallah is, and Zawahiri, and al-Julani, and al-Baghdadi. Do you know the players without a scorecard, yet, Donald Trump?

DT: No, you know, I’ll tell you honestly, I think by the time we get to office, they’ll all be changed. They’ll be all gone. I knew you were going to ask me things like this, and there’s no reason, because number one, I’ll find, I will hopefully find General Douglas MacArthur in the pack. I will find whoever it is that I’ll find, and we’ll, but they’re all changing, Hugh. You know, those are like history questions. Do you know this one, do you know that one. I will tell you, I thought you used the word Kurd before. I will tell you that I think the Kurds are the most under-utilized and are being totally mistreated by us. And nobody understands why. But as far as the individual players, of course I don’t know them. I’ve never met them. I haven’t been, you know, in a position to meet them. If, if they’re still there, which is unlikely in many cases, but if they’re still there, I will know them better than I know you.

HH: That’s what I’m getting at, because the Islamist extremism is metastasizing. Nasrallah’s been there a long time, and al-Baghdadi’s running ISIS. And so I wonder if you’re going to throw yourself into the details of this during the campaign the way you did into the U.N. deal, because you knew that stuff cold.

DT: Well, you know, and unfortunately, I said I’d build it for $500 million. They were at $3 billion. And it ended up costing $6 billion, and I told them that would happen. And it was a disgrace. Frankly, that whole U.N. situation was a disgrace. They ended up spending $5-6 billion dollars to renovate a building that I would have done for $500 million, and I told them I would have done it, and it would have been better. Now as far as what you’re talking about now, I will know every detail, and I will have the right plan, not a plan like this where we’re probably going backwards based on everything that I’m hearing, but we’re probably going backwards, zero respect. We have, we are not a respected country, and certainly as it relates to ISIS and what’s going on, and Iran.

HH: Now I don’t believe in gotcha questions. And I’m not trying to quiz you on who the worst guy in the world is.

DT: Well, that is a gotcha question, though. I mean, you know, when you’re asking me about who’s running this, this this, that’s not, that is not, I will be so good at the military, your head will spin. But obviously, I’m not meeting these people. I’m not seeing these people. Now it probably will be a lot of changes, Hugh, as you go along. They’ll be, by the time we get there, which is still a pretty long period of time, you know, you start, let’s say you figure out nominations, and who is going to represent the Republicans in, let’s say, February, March, April, you’ll start to get pretty good ideas, maybe sooner than that, actually. But that will be a whole new group of people. I think what is really important is to pick out, and this is something I’m so good at, to pick out who is going to be the best person to represent us militarily, because we have some great people, militarily. I don’t know that we’re using them.

HH: All right, well, let me expand it, because you know, it’s not gotcha. I’m trying not to do that. But I wanted to see if you…

DT: Well, it sounded like gotcha. You’re asking me names that, I think it’s somewhat ridiculous, but that’s okay. Go ahead, let’s go.

HH: All right, good. Now have you ever been to Israel? And how often?

DT: Yes, I’ve been to Israel once.

HH: And if Israel acts unilaterally against Iran because they view this deal as so bad, will you unequivocally stand by the action of the Netanyahu government?

DT: Of course, I will. In fact, he’s a friend of mine. I did commercials for his reelection. And according to what he said, I’m the only celebrity, he’s used the word celebrity, this was a while ago, that did commercials, that he asked to do commercials. But he’s a good man, and I would absolutely stand with him. But you know, we have a problem, because according to the deal, and this is hard to believe, but we’re supposed to be protecting Iran against any invader. And if Israel invades, nobody knows exactly what’s going to happen, because if Israel invades Iran, I don’t know if you know, but we have a clause in that agreement that the way I read it, it’s almost like we have to go, and by the way, I can guarantee you that clause, first of all, should have never been there, maybe they had it taken out, but we didn’t win anything. But do you know there’s a clause in there that in theory, we’re supposed to help them fight Israel?

HH: Yup. Yeah, it’s in Annex Three. We agree to cooperate in the security of their nuclear installations. It’s remarkable, and I’m glad you know about it. And I’m glad you’ll stand with Israel…

………

HH: all right, last question, I want to go back to the beginning, because I really do disagree with you on the gotcha question thing, Donald Trump. At the debate, I may bring up Nasrallah being with Hezbollah, and al-Julani being with al-Nusra, and al-Masri being with Hamas. Do you think if I ask people to talk about those three things, and the differences, that that’s a gotcha question?

DT: Yes, I do. I totally do. I think it’s ridiculous.

HH: That’s interesting. I just disagree with that. I kind of figured that…

DT: All right, I think it’s ridiculous. I’ll have, I’m a delegator. I find great people. I find absolutely great people, and I’ll find them in our armed services, and I find absolutely great people. And now on the bigger picture, like the fact that our Kurds are being treated so poorly, and would really is the one group that really would be out there fighting for us, I think, and fighting for themselves, maybe more importantly to them, I understand that. But when you start throwing around names of people and where they live and give me their address, I think it’s ridiculous, and I think it’s totally worthless.

HH: Well, I wouldn’t do that. That’s crazy. I agree.

DT: Well, and by the way, the names you just mentioned, they probably won’t even be there in six months or a year.

HH: I don’t know. Nasrallah’s got such staying power.

DT: Well, let’s see what happens.

HH: And so I think the difference…

DT: And you know what? In that case, first day in office, or before then, right at the day after the election, I’ll know more about it than you will ever know. That I can tell you.

HH: Oh, I hope so. Last question, so the difference between Hezbollah and Hamas does not matter to you yet, but it will?

DT: It will when it’s appropriate. I will know more about it than you know, and believe me, it won’t take me long.

HH: All right, that, I believe.

DT: But right now, right now, I think it’s just something that, and you know what, if you ask these candidates, nobody’s going to be able to give you an answer. I mean, there may be one that studied it because they’re expecting a fresh question from you. But believe me, it won’t matter. I will know far more than you know within 24 hours after I get the job.

Print Friendly