Rod Stewart criticizes Israel's Gaza offensive and ends friendship with Trump over Israel arms support
In a recent interview with Radio Times, British music icon Rod Stewart condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's military actions in Gaza, stating that they amount to efforts to 'annihilate' the Palestinian people.
'What Netanyahu is doing to the Palestinians is exactly what happened to the Jews,' Stewart said. 'It's annihilation, and that's all he wants to do — get rid of them all. I don't know how they sleep at night.'
His comments come amid heightened international scrutiny of Israel's operations in the Gaza Strip, as well as continued debate surrounding arms sales and foreign policy in the United States.
Stewart's remarks also signal a rupture in his longtime friendship with former U.S. President Donald Trump. The 80-year-old singer explained that Trump's unwavering support for Israel has caused a personal rift. 'No, I can't anymore,' Stewart said of maintaining their relationship. 'As long as he's selling arms to the Israelis — and he still is. How's that war ever gonna stop?'
Stewart and Trump had been neighbors for years in Palm Beach, Florida, frequently attending social events together. 'We're both on the beach. I used to go to his Christmas parties,' Stewart recalled. 'He's always been a bit of a man's man. I liked him for that. But he didn't, as far as I'm concerned, treat women very well… Since he became president, he became another guy. Somebody I didn't know.'
As political tensions continue to rise in the Middle East, Stewart's remarks add a high-profile celebrity voice to the growing global debate over the humanitarian cost of the conflict and U.S. policy in the region.
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