HUDSON, N.H. – Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley sat down with JI  Editor-in-Chief Josh Kraushaar on Tuesday during a campaign stop at a VFW hall in the Granite State and offered her perspective on Israel’s judicial reform efforts, the prospects of a Biden-led normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia, and the rise of antisemitism in the United States.

Below are excerpts from the conversation. Read our on-the-ground report from Haley’s swing through New Hampshire here.

Haley, on her reaction to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposed judicial overhaul: “It’s none of our business. It’s a domestic issue. I wouldn’t want Netanyahu inserting himself into American policies. We should not be so arrogant as to insert ourselves into Israeli policies. What I care about is that Israel is strong, that we are a strong ally with them. That we make sure that we can help them defend themselves because they are our best friend when it comes to taking on Iran. And we should be focusing on how we can make better relationships with our Arab allies. That’s what we should be focused on. Not on what they’re doing domestically.”

On Biden’s efforts to secure a normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia: “There’s no way it’s going to happen in the Biden White House. You don’t go and call the head of Saudi Arabia a pariah and then suddenly think they’re going to want to work with you. That’s ludicrous. He killed every chance of us doing anything with Saudi Arabia. And Saudi Arabia has shown that in the way they’ve acted back with us – doing deals with China, basically going against our currency. Will it happen in a Haley administration? Absolutely. Is it going to happen in a Biden administration? It will not. We do want it, and I think there’s an opportunity there and I think we should push hard.”

On how Haley would tackle rising antisemitism in the United States: “Start seriously punishing these elected officials who are spewing hate. It’s not OK for them to say the things they’re saying. Every time they say that, they put the Jewish community in danger. Every time they say that, they make a kid more scared on a college campus. Every time they say that, they encourage others to do it. It’s wrong. Congress needs to be bold enough to condemn those people and to censure them and to make sure they pay a price for it — not just go up and put up another resolution that says antisemitism is bad. 

Should Congress censure Republicans like Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar, who has associated himself with antisemitic figures?: “Hate is hate. I don’t care whether you’re Republican or Democrat. If you say anything that is hateful to another group of people, stop. That’s the problem in America. When did we start saying we’re just going to tiptoe around it? Antisemitism is no different than racism. Treat it like that. I’ll call out anyone who spews hate or does anything to threaten another group of people.”
Haley, on former Fox News host Tucker Carlson: “I don’t think Tucker’s going anywhere. I think he’s going to continue to be a voice that’s prominent and do whatever he does.”