Nikki Haley: Attack on Israel should be wake-up call for America

The deadly Hamas-led incursion into Israel should serve as a warning sign for America, GOP presidential hopeful Nikki Haley said Sunday, comparing America’s southern border with Mexico to Israel’s border with Gaza.

“We don't need to wait for another 9/11. You also look at the fact that, Kristen, America is incredibly distracted and incredibly divided and when America's distracted the world is less safe. And look at what happened to Israel. They waited for them to be distracted and that's when your enemies move in. America needs to wake up,” Haley, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told NBC’s Kristen Welker during an interview on “Meet the Press.”

The attack on Israel from early Saturday morning caught Israeli defenses off guard, in what some experts are describing as a catastrophic intelligence failure in an area where fighting is not uncommon.

On Sunday, Haley tied Iran to the attacks on Israel and suggested Iran might also look to attack the United States across what she called an open border.

“I have been terribly worried about the fact that Iran has said the easiest way to get into America is through the southern border. We have an open border. People are coming through; they're not being vetted,” Haley said.

“Israel is the front line of defense for the Iranian regime and terrorists that want to hurt us and want to hurt our friends and we need to be honest with the American people about that,” she added later.