Trump added: “I am Israel’s best friend. I moved the embassy to Jerusalem—everything was good, including the Abraham Accords, and every major positive event in Israel recently was because of me. President-elect Donald Trump, when asked about his warning that “there will be hell if the hostages aren’t released by his inauguration,” responded, “That is exactly what I meant. If the hostages are not released by the time I take office, there will be hell—no ‘don’t,’ there will be hell. They need to be released now.” The President-elect made the statements on the Hugh Hewitt Podcast on Monday.

Trump added, “I am Israel’s best friend. I moved the embassy to Jerusalem—everything was good, including the Abraham Accords, and every major positive event in Israel recently was because of me. I must also note that I support peace—now is the time.”

Trump’s “don’t” comment appears to be a jab at US President Joe Biden, who warned other actors in the region who were thinking of attacking Israel shortly after October 7. “To anyone thinking of taking advantage of the situation, I have one word: ‘Don’t,’” Biden said from Israel on October 10, 2023.

Trump initially made his “hell to pay’ comment in a post on Truth Social on December 2, 2024. He made the statement after the IDF’s confirmation that Hamas killed American-Israeli Omer Neutra on October 7 and has held his body hostage since. 

Read More Here