Nikki Haley Signs Controversial Message On Artillery Shell On Visit To Israel, Sparking Debate

In a recent visit to Israel, former United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley made headlines for a controversial message she wrote on an artillery shell. 

Haley, also a former Republican presidential candidate, was photographed signing an artillery shell with the message “Finish them! America ♥ Israel always, Nikki Haley” during her visit to an Israeli military post on the northern border. The image was shared on social media by Danny Danon, Israel’s former ambassador to the United Nations and a member of the Israeli Parliament.

Her photo-op and her controversial message followed a global outcry over an Israeli airstrike on Sunday that killed at least 45 people when a blaze ignited in a tent camp in a western district of the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Rafah was a former haven for hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians until the Israel Defence Forces began its offensive there more than three weeks ago.

Israel was ordered last week by the World Court to immediately cease its military assault on Rafah in a landmark emergency ruling in South Africa’s case accusing Israel of genocide. Israel denies genocide allegations. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the incident as tragic and said the government investigated it thoroughly.

The incident has further fueled global outrage over Israel’s ongoing conflict with Hamas, the militant group that controls the Gaza Strip. The war has been raging for almost eight months since Hamas launched a surprise assault against Israel on October 7.

Haley’s message on the artillery shell has been widely criticized as an endorsement of violence and a failure to acknowledge the immense human cost of the conflict. 

Haley’s husband recently returned from a deployment in the National Guard after two years.