United States Vice President, Kamala Harris has shifted emphasis to the plight of Palestinians in Gaza.
This came as she delivered remarks after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
She tried to refocus the conversation around mitigating the calamity in Gaza.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, Harris said that her commitment to Israel’s existence and security was “unwavering,” but that “far too many” innocent civilians had been killed in the war.
“What has happened in Gaza over the past nine months is devastating. The images of dead children and desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety, sometimes displaced for the second, third or fourth time.
“We cannot look away in the face of these tragedies. We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering. And I will not be silent.”
Kamala Harris
Harris, the presumptive Democratic nominee after President Joe Biden’s decision to end his re-election campaign, said that she had urged Netanyahu to agree to a US-backed ceasefire proposal.
“It is time for this war to end and end in a way where Israel is secure, all the hostages are released, the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can exercise their right to freedom, dignity and self-determination,” Harris said.
“As I just told Prime Minister Netanyahu, it is time to get this deal done,” she stated.
While Harris’ remarks did not point to substantive policy differences with Biden, her forceful invocation of Palestinians’ suffering drew a contrast with her boss’s more subdued, mostly back-channel efforts to restrain Israel.
Harris also reiterated her support for Israel’s right to defend itself, condemned Hamas as a “brutal terrorist organisation”, and listed the names of five US citizens believed to be in Hamas’s captivity in Gaza as well as the names of two others whose remains are believed to be in the enclave.
“I have met with the families of these American hostages multiple times now, and I have told each time they are not alone and I stand with them, and President Biden and I are working every day to bring them home.”
Kamala Harris
Harris’ meeting with Netanyahu was private, and she described it as “frank and constructive.”
She also emphasized her longtime support for Israel.
Americans Urged To Acknowledge Nuance Of Conflict
In a nod to divisions over Israel and Gaza, Harris also called on Americans to acknowledge the “complexity” and “nuance” of the conflict.
She used language intended to nudge Americans toward an elusive middle ground.
“Too often, the conversation is binary, when the reality is anything but,” Harris said.
In addition, Harris made a more explicit appeal to voters who have been frustrated by the ceaseless bloodshed, which began when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2024.
“To everyone who has been calling for a cease-fire, and to everyone who yearns for peace, I see you, and I hear you,” she said.
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