UNRA Report and Israel Hamas Gaza War April 2024
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Israel’s war on Gaza live: Demands for mass grave investigation grow
Another Genocidal Act in Gaza By Israel's IDF Military
Al Jazeera Reports 24th April 2024
Over 80 More Palestinians Killed and
many more injured in Gaza in the last 20 hours 24th April 2024
Israel's War On Gaza
24th April 2024
Latest Gaza Casualty Figures
Israel: At Least 1,139 Killed 8.730 Injured
Palestine-Gaza: At Least 34.262 Killed 77.2229 Injured
Palestine-West Bank: At Lease 488 Killed 4.800 Injured
Special Sky News Reports Blame For Gaza Genocide Act in Gaza Hospital Lies with the USA, Israel and Britain
United Nations And European Union Call For Independent Investigation Into Large Amount Of Palestinian People's Bodies Found Buried In Gaza Hospital Part One
INLTV Al Jazeera World News 22nd April 2024 Part J
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The head of Israeli military intelligence resigned on Monday because of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, becoming the first senior figure to step down over his role in the stunning failure to anticipate or quickly respond to the deadliest assault in Israel’s history.
Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva’s decision could set the stage for more resignations among top Israeli security officials. Hamas militants blasted through Israel’s border defenses on Oct. 7, rampaging through communities unchallenged for hours and killing 1,200 people, most of them civilians, while taking roughly 250 hostages into Gaza.
The attack set off the war against Hamas in Gaza, now in its seventh month.
The INLTVNews Investigation Report into what really happened, how and why it happened on 7th October 2023 regarding the Hamas Attack on Israel makes it clear that the evidence is clear showing that it is an absolute impossibility that Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliv and the other senior members of Israel's IDF, Mossad (Israel's Central Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations) Shin Bet (Israel's Internal Security), Aman (Israel's Military Intelligence) were not aware of the planning and actual carrying out of the the Hamas Attack on Israel on the 7th October 2023 .. and thus could have prevented it from happening...
Without such attack being allowed to happen, Israel would have had no possible excuse to bomb Gaza to rubble and murder over 30,000 Palestinians, and seriously injure a further over 70,000 Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank since ther7th October, 2023-, --- mostly women and children .... and use deliberate starvation of Palestinians in Gaza as a weapon of war ..... even though most countries around the world. including judges in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), senior members of the United Nations and highly respected International Legal Experts .... have an opinion that such response by Israel to the Hamas Attack on Israel on the 7th October 2023, by bombing Gaza to rubble and murdering over 30,000 Palestinians, and seriously injuring a further over 70,000 Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank since ther7th October, 2023-, --- mostly women and children .... and using deliberate starvation of Palestinians in Gaza as a weapon of war ...... is not a reasonable and fair response .... and has been a clear breach of International law .... and is in fact a Geocide on the Palestinian People in Gaza .... with those responsible for such serious horrendous crimes, such as Benjamin Netanyahu , the Prime Minister of Israel, Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliv and the other senior members of Israel's IDF, Mossad (Israel's Central Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations) Shin Bet (Israel's Internal Security), Aman (Israel's Military Intelligence) ..... receiving no punishment other than having to resign/retire on a large comfortable Israeli Government Pension for them and their families to continue to live a comfortable life in Israel or as a settler in the illegal settlements in the Occupied West Bank...... with the families of the over 30,000 Palestinians who have been murdered, and a further over 70,000 Palestinians who have been seriously injured in Gaza and the West Bank since ther7th October, 2023 ..... Along with over 70% of their homes being reduced to rubble.... not receiving any apology ..... and no compensation from the Israeli Government and/or from Israel's major partners in crime... being the USA...... who willingly supplied and supported and continue to support Israel with billions of dollars on Military assistance to Israel to carry out such most serious crimes...
UNRA Report and Israel Hamas Gaza War April 2024
UNRAReportAndIsraelHamasGazaWarApril2024
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Handy Easy Email and World News Links WebMail
- news.sky.com/watch-live New York Post nypost.com YouTube
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Israel’s war on Gaza live: Demands for mass grave investigation grow
- https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/4/24/israels-war-on-gaza-live-rafah-family-killed-injured-in-israeli-strike
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- Gaza medics continue to unearth bodies in mass graves at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis with international demands rising for an independent investigation into Israel’s raid on the facility.
- Fears for the safety of tens of thousands of civilians in northern Gaza’s Beit Lahiya surge as Israeli troops attack the city “with extreme force” and order Palestinians to immediately flee.
- Israel’s army transfers two combat brigades from northern Israel to Gaza for unspecified military operations in Gaza as concerns grow of an imminent ground invasion of southern Rafah city.
- At least 34,262 Palestinians have been killed and 77,229 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The death toll in Israel from Hamas’s October 7 attacks stands at 1,139 with dozens still held captive in Gaza
Hamas releases video of Israeli-American captive held in Gaza
Palestinian group Hamas released on Wednesday a video of an Israeli-American man held captive in Gaza and seen alive in the footage.
Biden signs bill giving billions of dollars in aid to Israel
The bill includes $61 bn in aid to Ukraine and $26 bn for Israel, as well as $1 billion in humanitarian assistance to Gaza and $8 billion to counter China’s military might.
The US president says the package “gives vital support to America’s partners so they can defend themselves from threats to their sovereignty”.
Biden added the security of Israel is important and that this aid package will help it replenish its air defence.
He added that the bill will significantly increase humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the besieged coastal enclave.
“Israel must ensure aid gets to Palestinians in Gaza without delay,” he said.
Turkey accuses US of double standards over Gaza
Turkey has accused the United States of having a policy of double standards on human rights, saying Washington’s annual rights report failed to reflect Israel’s assaults in Gaza.
Turkey’s foreign ministry said in a statement it was deeply concerned that the US report did not “duly reflect the ongoing inhumane attacks in Gaza”.
The report was prepared with “political motives, far from impartiality and objectivity”, it said, calling on Washington to cease its “double-standard policy on human rights”.
In its report, the US State Department said Israel’s war against Hamas had a “significant negative impact” on the human rights situation in Israel.
On Monday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken rejected suggestions that Washington might have double standards regarding Israel’s record.
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INLTV Al Jazeera World News UNRA Report Released
Other Israel Gaza War News 2nd April 2024 Part 1 of 10
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INLTV Al Jazeera World News 22nd April 2024 Part A
INLTV Al Jazeera World News 22nd April 2024 Part B
INLTV Al Jazeera World News 22nd April 2024 Part C
12 Jurors Selected in Trump's Hush Money Case
Donald Trump's Criminal Trial Begins in New York
Donald Trump's wife Melania was reportedly 'livid' over his use of son Barron in a campaign post
Donald Trump: The former president gives visible signs of frustration as he gets more pushback in fraud trial
Indian Prime Minister Modi Accused of ‘Hate Speech’ Towards Muslims in Campaign Rally
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is under fire for invoking anti-Muslim tropes in a speech on Sunday as he campaigns in the nation’s ongoing general election.
Speaking to a large crowd at a rally in the western state of Rajasthan, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader made controversial remarks describing Muslims as “infiltrators.” Modi said that if the main opposition party, the Indian National Congress, is voted into power at the end of the weeks’ long election, they would unfairly distribute wealth.
The House of Lords has pushed the UK government's Rwanda bill back to the Commons again as a row continues over the controversial plan to "stop the boats".
Peers have made the Commons look once more at the UK government's Rwanda bill
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told reporters on Monday that "enough is enough", promising the legislation - which aims to see asylum seekers making Channel crossings deported to the African nation - would pass its final parliamentary stages this evening, "no matter how late it goes".
But peers are now testing this pledge by insisting MPs took another look at one of the changes they want implemented to the bill for the fifth time - namely the mechanism of how Rwanda is declared as a "safe country".
The Commons again rejected the amendment shortly after 10.30pm, with illegal migration minister Michael Tomlinson said there was "nothing new" in what the Lords had said.
But Labour's shadow immigration minister, Stephen Kinnock, condemned the government for "ferociously attacking" peers "simply for doing their constitutional duty".
Ministers did make a concession earlier in the evening on Labour peer Lord Browne's proposal that sought to ensure asylum seekers who had worked with British armed forces abroad were not deported - stopping him pushing for the amendment to be looked at again by MPs.
The government promised to reassess all those from Afghanistan whose claims had been rejected under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme, with Home Office minister Lord Sharpe saying: "The government recognises the commitment and responsibility that comes with combat veterans, whether our own or those who have shared courage by serving alongside us, and we will not let them down."
But there was no compromise on offer for Lord Hope's amendment, which would require an independent body to rule Rwanda as safe, rather than just declaring it in law - and peers backed his call by 240 votes to 211.
Politics live: Follow the latest from parliament as MPs and peers vote on Rwanda bill
INLTV Al Jazeera World News 22nd April 2024 Part D
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INLTV Al Jazeera World News 22nd April 2024 Part F
INLTV Al Jazeera World News 22nd April 2024 Part G
At least four more Palestinians Murdered in Gaza by Israel's IDF and a further 60 plus Palestinians Injured in Gaza by Israel's IDF .
Israeli Air Strikes demolished another complete Residential Block in Gaza
The head of Israel's military intelligence directorate has resigned over Hamas' Oct. 7 attack. Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva, the head of Israel's military intelligence, becomes the first senior Israeli figure to step down over the failures surrounding Hamas' attack. It could set the stage for more resignations
Israel’s military intelligence chief resigns over failure to prevent Hamas attack on Oct. 7
Haliva said he would remain in his position until a replacement is found. He said he had intended to resign immediately after Oct. 7, but stayed on through the initial part of the war and was resigning as the army’s internal investigations gather pace.
His announcement came at the start of Passover, a major Jewish holiday, and as military operations in Gaza have slowed in recent weeks ahead of a possible offensive on the southern city of Rafah.
The timing of any resignations by security and military officials has been complicated by the ongoing war in Gaza and battles with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah along Israel’s northern border. Tensions with Iran are also at a high following attacks between the two enemies.
Some military experts have said resignations at a time when Israel is engaged on multiple fronts is irresponsible and could be interpreted as a sign of weakness.
Shortly after the attack, Haliva and others had publicly said that they shouldered blame for not preventing the Oct. 7 assault.
Other leaders have stopped short, most notably Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He has said he will answer tough questions about his role but has not outright acknowledged direct responsibility for allowing the attack to unfold.
He has also refused to step down, even as a growing protest movement demands early elections.
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid welcomed Haliva’s resignation, saying it was “justified and dignified.”
“It would be appropriate for Prime Minister Netanyahu to do the same,” he wrote on the social media platform X.
The Hamas attack, which came on a Jewish holiday, caught Israel and its vaunted security establishment entirely off guard. Israelis’ sense of faith in their military — seen by most Jews as one of the country’s most trustworthy institutions — was shattered in the face of Hamas’ onslaught. The resignation could help restore some of that trust.
The resignation came as Jews around the world prepared to celebrate Passover, a weeklong holiday that begins Monday evening and marks the biblical exodus of Jews from slavery in Egypt. With roughly 130 people still held captive in Gaza, Passover is certain to take on a more somber hue this year: for many Israelis, it’s hard to fathom a celebration of freedom when dozens of people are still being held hostage.
“As we gather around the Seder table to commemorate and celebrate our journey from slavery to freedom, our hearts are heavy with the plight of the 133 Israelis who remain in captivity,” Netanyahu wrote on X. “Our resolve remains unyielding to see all hostages back with their families.”
Hundreds of Israelis, including families of the hostages, held a protest Seder, or Passover feast, outside Netanyahu’s private home in the coastal city of Caesarea. They blame his government for failing to return the hostages.
Hamas’ attack set off the devastating war that has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the local health ministry. The ministry’s count doesn’t distinguish between combatants and non-combatants, but it says at least two-thirds of the dead are children and women.
The fighting has devastated Gaza’s two largest cities and driven 80% of the population to flee to other parts of the besieged coastal enclave. The war has sparked a humanitarian crisis that has drawn warnings of imminent famine.
On Monday, Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets into northern Israel, drawing retaliatory strikes. The Israeli military said 35 projectiles were launched at one of its bases, without causing any casualties. It said it struck the sources of the rocket fire.
Hezbollah said its attack was in response to recent Israeli strikes on towns and villages in southern Lebanon.
The two sides have traded fire on a near-daily basis along the border since the start of the war in Gaza.
Also on Monday, Israeli police said that a car had slammed into pedestrians in Jerusalem, wounding three lightly. Security camera video showed two men exiting the car with a rifle before fleeing the scene. Police later said they arrested the two men
This story has been edited to correct the spelling of Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva’s surnam
Associated Press writer Julia Frankel contributed to this report from Jerusalem.
INLTV Al Jazeera World News 22nd April 2024 Part H
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INLTV Al Jazeera World News 22nd April 2024 Part J
Indian Prime Minister Modi Accused of ‘Hate Speech’ Towards Muslims in Campaign Rally
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is under fire for invoking anti-Muslim tropes in a speech on Sunday as he campaigns in the nation’s ongoing general election.
Speaking to a large crowd at a rally in the western state of Rajasthan, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader made controversial remarks describing Muslims as “infiltrators.” Modi said that if the main opposition party, the Indian National Congress, is voted into power at the end of the weeks’ long election, they would unfairly distribute wealth.
“When they were in power, they said Muslims have first right over resources. They will gather all your wealth and distribute it among those who have more children,” Modi told a crowd of supporters. “Do you think your hard-earned money should be given to infiltrators? Would you accept this?” he said of India’s Muslim population, which consists of around 230 million people.
The remarks appeared to be a reference to harmful tropes that accuse Muslims of displacing Hindus by building large families. The comments have been widely criticized by opposition leaders and prominent Muslim figures and triggered anger worldwide. Local polls officials confirmed to Al Jazeera that they had received two complaints calling for Modi’s campaign suspension and arrest.
As the world’s most populous nation, India is home to some 1.44 billion citizens. Modi’s BJP party has been criticized for viewing the Muslim community, which includes asylum seekers and refugees from Bangladesh and Myanmar, as outsiders.
Critics say Modi’s comments build on a divisive campaign of Hindu nationalism has been associated with the ruling BJP, which is expected to claim a third consecutive term.
“Modi today called Muslims infiltrators and people with many children. Since 2002 till this day, the only Modi guarantee has been to abuse Muslims and get votes,” Asaduddin Owaisi, a Muslim lawmaker and president of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen said in a post on social media platform X.
Meanwhile, congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said Modi’s comments constitute “hate speech” and form “a well thought-out ploy to divert attention.” In a post on X, he added that Modi has been influenced by “the values of the Sangh,” referencing Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a right-wing Hindu paramilitary organization that Modi was affiliated with in his youth. “In the history of India, no prime minister has lowered the dignity of his post as much as Modi has,” Kharge said.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)—the United States’ largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization—also condemned Modi’s speech in a statement shared with TIME on Monday.
“It is unconscionable, but not surprising, that far-right Hindutva leader Narendra Modi would target Indian Muslims with a hateful and dangerous diatribe despite his role as the leader of a nation with such a diverse religious heritage,” said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad.
CAIR also called on U.S. President Joe Biden to declare India a “Country of Particular Concern" over its systematic treatment of Indian Muslims and other minority groups. Modi was previously denied entry into the U.S. in 2005, due to his proximity to the 2002 Gujarat massacres during his term as chief minister of the state from 2001 to 2014. The religiously charged riots saw more than 1,000 people killed, with most of them Muslims.
Modi claimed the nation’s top political role in 2014, with a focus on development and anti-corruption. He was re-elected with a landslide victory in 2019 with a more Hindu nationalist agenda. Anti-Muslim hate speech has been soaring in India, with a recent report by the Washington-based research group India Hate Lab recording 668 cases in 2023. While 255 events took place in the first half of 2023, the figure rose to 413 in the second half of the year, marking a 63% increase.. The report documented that 75% of the total instances that year took place in BJP-ruled states. In light of Sunday’s remarks, opposition leaders are calling for the Election Commission of India (ECI) to investigate whether Modi’s speech breaches its code of conduct. The code stipulates that politicians cannot appeal to voters on the basis of “caste” and “communal feelings,” nor can they run campaigns that “aggravate differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension” between communities.
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https://time.com/6969774/india-narendra-modi-muslim-hate-speech/
Donald Trump's Criminal Trial Begins in New York
Donald Trump: The former president gives visible signs of frustration as he gets more pushback in fraud trial
Donald Trump: The former president gives visible signs of frustration as he gets more pushback in fraud trial
Since the beginning of his fraud trial, Donald Trump has been faced with major setbacks. Now they are starting to get to him…
Since Monday 2 October, Donald Trump has been sitting in court. The former president is currently facing possible huge consequences including: losing his business licence in New York, having to sell some of his real estate portfolio (Trump Tower included) and paying a fine of over $200 million.
While this civil fraud case is not the worst legal battle Trump will have to fight in the coming months it appears to now be getting to him. The man who is usually so composed is now showing signs of frustration and anger. Is Trump getting worried?
A trial with no jury
Donald Trump is facing Judge Engoron alone. Indeed, this fraud case solely lies in the Judge’s hands as no jury was asked by Trump’s team of lawyers or the prosecution.
However, Trump has been complaining about the lack of a jury since the beginning of the trial. He has called this ‘unfair’ and has called the whole trial a ‘witch hunt’. But it was revealed that actually, Trump’s team never asked for one.
According to CNN reporters who spoke to legal experts, because of the nature of Trump’s case, having a jury wasn’t mandatory. But Trump's team could have still asked for one.
This was pointed out in the middle of court by Judge Engoron and this led to a big reaction from Donald Trump who is known to be very calm in court.
Donald Trump loses his temper and… leaves
It is reported by journalists present in court that when Judge Engoron reminded Trump’s defence that they didn’t have to perform for a jury, Trump turned to his lawyers in anger.
Jose Pagliery from The Daily Beast said:
Trump turned to defense lawyer Alina Habba at his left to complain in loud groans—this reporter could only make out the words 'no jury!'—then threw his arms up and shook his head
Then, Trump was seen letting out ‘an annoyed sigh and slumped forward, stretching his dark blue suit jacket’.
But this isn’t the only visible sign of Trump losing his temper in court. Indeed, The New York Times reports that on Wednesday 4 October, Trump was seen ‘shaking his head’ and ‘glaring at Attorney General Letitia James’.
Not only that, reporters from The New York Times wrote:
Trump returned to court on Wednesday morning and sat quietly, for the most part, though he expressed more impatience than he did during the previous two days.Those visible signs of annoyance culminated when Trump decided on Wednesday to return to Florida. That is his right as he doesn’t have to be present at court for a trial that isn’t a criminal trial. However, Trump stated before that he wouldn’t hesitate to testify. Will he come back?
However, Attorney General James is quite happy to see Donald Trump return to Florida as him being present has attracted protestors, supporters and journalists. In a statement outside of the courthouse in which she addressed the repeated comments Trump gave to the press after the hearings she said:
Trump's comments were offensive, baseless, they were void of any facts and or any evidence. What they were were comments that unfortunately fermented violence, comments that I would describe as race-baiting, comments that unfortunately appeals to the bottom of our humanityAs far as she is concerned, Trump returning to Florida finally puts an end to ‘The Donald Trump Show’. AG James added:
This case was brought simply because it was a case where individuals were engaged in patent practice of fraud and I will not sit idly by and allow anyone to subvert the law and lastly I will not be bullied, and so Mr. Trump is no longer here.She also stated that the president used this trial as a ‘political stunt.’
Donald Trump's wife Melania was reportedly 'livid' over his use of son Barron in a campaign post
Read more:
⋙ Donald Trump: Former President claims he has the $454m to pay his legal fine
⋙ As Barron Trump turns 18, here's a look into how Melania made sure he son had a happy childhood
Sources used:
OK!Magazine: 'She's Livid': Melania Trump Could Divorce Donald Trump for Using Son Barron in Political Post, Source Claims
People: Melania Trump Will Always Choose Son Barron over Politics: 'She Dislikes a Petting Zoo' (Exclusive)
Donald Trump and his team challenge fairness of Judge Tanya Chutkan in Capital riots case
In a not so surprising move, Donald Trump and his team are going after Judge Tanya Chutkan.
Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential election to Joe Biden. As the American electoral system works, Trump stayed in office until January 2021 even though he lost the election in November 2020.
Trump’s loss was not well received by his supporters and on 6 January 2021 a riot took place at the Capitol. Hordes of Trump supporters invaded the Hill, fighting with the police and looting the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is a strong face of Trump’s opposition. Trump’s involvement in the triggering of the riot was immediately brought forth.
On top of this, Donald Trump will be going to trial in March 2024 concerning possible ‘election interference.’ The two cases are linked by one thing: Judge Tanya Chutkan who prosecuted rioters of the Capitol.
This is why, on 11 September 2023, Trump’s legal team are asking Judge Chutkan to recuse herself.
The Capitol riot of 6 January 2021
On 6 January 2021, there was a meeting schedule at the Capitol during which Speakers of the House were to count the electoral college votes and therefore officially find that Joe Biden had been elected president.
On the same day, Donald Trump held a rally called ‘Stop the Steal’ during which he ‘directed the rallygoers to the Capitol’ and said:
(they needed to demand Speakers) do the right thing and only count the electors who have been lawfully slated
While Donald Trump and his entourage deny any involvement in the riot, it is argued that his speech during the ‘Stop the Steal’ rally used violent imagery and had a call to action from his supporters. Many of the rioters were arrested and trialed, some of them by Judge Chutkan who is now the appointed judge for Trump’s trial in March 2024 that will determine if he interfered with the 2020 election transition.
BREAKING: Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio sentenced to 22 years in prison for the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, the longest sentence so far among the riot cases. https://bit.ly/3EsFeCU
Poland's president becomes latest leader to visit Donald Trump
Polish President Andrzej Duda speaks during a press conference on March 14, 2024 in Brussels. © Kenzo Tribouillard, AFP/Archivos
Former President Donald Trump met Wednesday in New York with Polish President Andrzej Duda, the latest in a series of meetings with foreign leaders as Europe braces for the possibility of a second Trump term.
Issued on:
The presumptive Republican nominee hosted Duda at Trump Tower, where the two discussed the war in Ukraine and Duda’s push to boost NATO members’ defense spending, according to a readout from Trump’s campaign.
Duda, who has long expressed admiration for Trump, is also a staunch supporter of Ukraine and has encouraged Washington to provide more aid to Kyiv amid Russian's ongoing invasion.
That funding has been held up by Trump allies in Congress.
As he arrived, Trump praised the Polish president, saying, “He's done a fantastic job and he’s my friend.”
“We had four great years together," Trump added. “We’re behind Poland all the way."
Duda is the latest foreign leader to meet with Trump in the weeks since he locked up the Republican nomination.
US allies across the world were caught off guard by Trump’s surprise 2016 win, forcing them to scramble to build relationships with a president who often attacked longstanding treaties and alliances they valued. Setting up meetings with him during the 2024 campaign suggests they don't want to be behind again.
Even as he goes on trial for one of the four criminal indictments against him, Trump and Democratic President Joe Biden are locked in a rematch that most observers expect will be exceedingly close in November.
“We had four great years together," Trump added. “We’re behind Poland all the way."
Duda is the latest foreign leader to meet with Trump in the weeks since he locked up the Republican nomination.
US allies across the world were caught off guard by Trump’s surprise 2016 win, forcing them to scramble to build relationships with a president who often attacked longstanding treaties and alliances they valued. Setting up meetings with him during the 2024 campaign suggests they don't want to be behind again.
Even as he goes on trial for one of the four criminal indictments against him, Trump and Democratic President Joe Biden are locked in a rematch that most observers expect will be exceedingly close in November.
“We had four great years together," Trump added. “We’re behind Poland all the way."
Duda is the latest foreign leader to meet with Trump in the weeks since he locked up the Republican nomination.
US allies across the world were caught off guard by Trump’s surprise 2016 win, forcing them to scramble to build relationships with a president who often attacked longstanding treaties and alliances they valued. Setting up meetings with him during the 2024 campaign suggests they don't want to be behind again.
Even as he goes on trial for one of the four criminal indictments against him, Trump and Democratic President Joe Biden are locked in a rematch that most observers expect will be exceedingly close in November.
While some in Poland worried the visit might damage the country’s relationship with Biden, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., a Biden ally and a major voice in his party on foreign affairs, said such meetings make sense.
“The polls are close,” he said. “If I were a foreign leader — and there’s a precedent attached to meeting with candidates who are nominated or on the path to being nominated — I’d probably do it too.”
Murphy noted that former President Barack Obama did a lengthy international tour and met with foreign leaders when he first ran for the White House.
So did Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, who challenged Obama in 2012 and whose trip included a stop in Poland's capital, Warsaw.
Duda’s visit comes a week after Trump met with British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, another NATO member and key proponent of supporting Ukraine, at the former president’s Florida estate.
And last month, Trump hosted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, an autocrat who has maintained the closest relationship with Russia among European Union countries.
Orban shared a montage of footage of the visit on his Instagram feed, with included an image of him and his staff meeting with Trump and the former president’s aides in a scene that looked like an official bilateral meeting.
Trump also met briefly in February with Javier Milei, the fiery, right-wing populist president of Argentina who ran a campaign inspired by Trump, complete with red “Make Argentina Great Again” hats.
Milei gave Trump an excited hug backstage at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference outside Washington, according to video posted by a Trump campaign aide.
Biden administration officials have been careful not to weigh in publicly on foreign leaders’ meetings with Trump, acknowledging he has a real chance of winning the race.
While some officials have privately expressed frustration with such meetings, they are mindful that any criticism would open the US to charges of hypocrisy because senior American officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, meet frequently with foreign opposition figures at various forums in the United States and abroad.
Security and policy officials monitor the travel plans of foreign officials visiting the US, but generally don’t have a say in where they go or with whom they meet, according to an administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss protocol.
Trump has been back in his hometown this week for the start of his criminal hush money trial, which has dramatically limited his ability to travel and campaign.
While in town, aides have been planning a series of events that began Tuesday evening when Trump, after court adjourned, stopped by a Harlem bodega where a man was killed to rail against crime and blast the district attorney who made him the first former president in US history to stand criminal trial.
While some in Poland worried the visit might damage the country’s relationship with Biden, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., a Biden ally and a major voice in his party on foreign affairs, said such meetings make sense.
“The polls are close,” he said. “If I were a foreign leader — and there’s a precedent attached to meeting with candidates who are nominated or on the path to being nominated — I’d probably do it too.”
Murphy noted that former President Barack Obama did a lengthy international tour and met with foreign leaders when he first ran for the White House.
So did Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, who challenged Obama in 2012 and whose trip included a stop in Poland's capital, Warsaw.
Duda’s visit comes a week after Trump met with British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, another NATO member and key proponent of supporting Ukraine, at the former president’s Florida estate.
And last month, Trump hosted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, an autocrat who has maintained the closest relationship with Russia among European Union countries.
Orban shared a montage of footage of the visit on his Instagram feed, with included an image of him and his staff meeting with Trump and the former president’s aides in a scene that looked like an official bilateral meeting.
Trump also met briefly in February with Javier Milei, the fiery, right-wing populist president of Argentina who ran a campaign inspired by Trump, complete with red “Make Argentina Great Again” hats.
Milei gave Trump an excited hug backstage at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference outside Washington, according to video posted by a Trump campaign aide.
Biden administration officials have been careful not to weigh in publicly on foreign leaders’ meetings with Trump, acknowledging he has a real chance of winning the race.
While some officials have privately expressed frustration with such meetings, they are mindful that any criticism would open the US to charges of hypocrisy because senior American officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, meet frequently with foreign opposition figures at various forums in the United States and abroad.
Security and policy officials monitor the travel plans of foreign officials visiting the US, but generally don’t have a say in where they go or with whom they meet, according to an administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss protocol.
Trump has been back in his hometown this week for the start of his criminal hush money trial, which has dramatically limited his ability to travel and campaign.
While in town, aides have been planning a series of events that began Tuesday evening when Trump, after court adjourned, stopped by a Harlem bodega where a man was killed to rail against crime and blast the district attorney who made him the first former president in US history to stand criminal trial.
Duda, a right-wing populist who once proposed naming a military base in his country “Fort Trump," described the dinner earlier Wednesday as a private get-together between friends at Trump's former residence while he is in town for meetings at the United Nations.
“I have been invited by Mr. Donald Trump to his private apartment," Duda told reporters, saying it was “a normal practice when one country has good relations with another country” to want those relations to be as strong as "possible with the representatives of various sides of the political stage.”
He described a friendly relationship with Trump built over years of working together.
“We know each other as people. Like two, I can say in some way, friends," said Duda, whose term ends in 2025.
Duda's visit comes as House Republicans wrangle over a $95 billion foreign aid bill that would provide new funding to Ukraine, including money for the U.S. military to replace depleting weapon supplies.
Many Trump allies in the House are fiercely opposed to aiding Ukraine, even as the country warns that it is struggling amid a fresh Russian offensive. Trump has said he might be open to aid in the form of a loan.
Like Cameron, Duda's efforts to push the US to approve additional aid put him in common cause with Biden, who has struggled for six months to unlock additional funding.
One area where Trump and Duda agree when it comes to the conflict is a desire to push NATO members to increase their defense spending. Duda has called on fellow members of the alliance to raise their spending to 3% of gross domestic product as Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine.
That would represent a significant increase from the current commitment of 2% by 2024.
Trump, in a stunning break from US precedent, has long been critical of the Western alliance and has threatened not to defend member nations that do not hit that spending goal. That threat strikes at the heart of the alliance's Article 5, which states that any attack against one NATO member will be considered an attack against all.
In February, Trump went even further, recounting that he'd once told leaders that he would “encourage” Russia to “do whatever the hell they want” to members that are — in his words — “delinquent.”
Trump's campaign said the two discussed the NATO proposal during the meeting, which lasted two-and-a-half hours.
“I have never talked with President Donald Trump about my proposal of raising the spending on defense of NATO countries from 2% to 3% of GDP, but I think that his approach to it will be positive,” Duda had said before they met.
The two also discussed Israel and the Middle East, Trump's 2017 trip to Warsaw, “and many other topics having to do with getting to world peace,” the campaign said in its readout, which described the men as “great friends.”
The visit was met with mixed reaction in Poland, where fears of Russia run high and Duda’s friendly relationship with Trump has been a source of controversy.
Poland’s centrist Prime Minister Donald Tusk, a political opponent of Duda, was critical of the dinner but expressed hope that Duda would use it as an opportunity “to raise the issue of clearly siding with the Western world, democracy and Europe in this Ukrainian-Russian conflict.”
Duda, for his part, said he wasn’t worried since presidents regularly meet with various politicians during foreign trips.
“This is regular practice," he said. "There is nothing extraordinary here.”
(AP)