Senior Republican close to Trump criticizes Biden’s arms holdup in speech to Israeli parliament

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Elise Stefanik, a House Republican leader seen as a candidate to be Donald Trump’s running mate, delivered a speech before Israel’s parliament in which she criticized President Joe Biden’s approach to the war in Gaza. Stefanik, the fourth highest-ranked Republican in the House of Representatives, is the latest of several U.S. politicians from both sides of the aisle to visit Israel since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack ignited the war in Gaza. But it’s rare for such visitors to address Israel’s parliament, known as the Knesset. Speaking at a session on Sunday dedicated to combatting antisemitism worldwide, Stefanik vowed to help with “crushing antisemitism at home and providing Israel what it needs when it needs it, without conditions.”