Vice President Kamala Harris met privately with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, following the meeting with a forceful call for a cease-fire and alleviation of civilian suffering in Gaza.
Harris’s Position on the Israel-Gaza Conflict
Harris emphasized that “Israel has a right to defend itself, and how it does so matters,” aligning her stance with the Biden administration’s policy but delivering her message with notable directness. She advocated for a two-state solution to maintain Israel as a “secure, Jewish and democratic state” while providing Palestinians with deserved freedom.
Urging for Peace and Condemning Hate
In her remarks, Harris urged Americans to understand the complexity of the foreign policy issue and condemned acts of hate, antisemitism, Islamophobia, and violence, following protests in Washington where American flags were burned, and support for Hamas was voiced.
“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,” Harris said. “So to everyone who has been calling for a cease-fire, and to everyone who has been calling for peace, I see you and I hear you. Let’s get the deal done so we can get a cease-fire to end the war. Let’s bring the hostages home, and let’s provide much-needed relief to the Palestinian people.”
Political Implications for Harris
As Harris campaigns for the presidency, her handling of one of the country’s most fraught foreign policy issues is critical. Although her statements align with President Joe Biden’s past comments, her delivery provided the clearest picture of her views on the conflict to date.
Biden’s Meeting with Netanyahu
President Joe Biden met with Netanyahu prior to Harris’s meeting, urging the Israeli prime minister to secure a cease-fire deal in Gaza. Biden took a tougher tone with Netanyahu to reach an agreement with Hamas to free hostages and end the fighting that has resulted in significant Palestinian civilian casualties.
Hostage Negotiations
Negotiations to free hostages taken by Hamas on October 7 have been slow, frustrating both Biden and the hostages’ families. Following Biden’s and Netanyahu’s 90-minute meeting, which extended to an hour with the families of American hostages, there was renewed hope.
“After the meeting we feel more optimistic than we have at any point since the previous hostage deal last November,” said Jonathan Dekel-Chen, whose son Sagy Chen is among the hostages.
Dekel-Chen emphasized that a deal must be concluded to return all hostages and alleviate Gaza’s suffering, with Netanyahu denying any delay in negotiations for political benefit and vowing to send a new proposal to Hamas soon.
Background and Future Steps
The conflict began on October 7, when Hamas attacked across the border, killing around 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages. Israel’s subsequent invasion of Gaza has resulted in over 30,000 Palestinian deaths, including many civilians.
As Biden continues his presidency, he has made securing a cease-fire deal a priority. National Security spokesman John Kirby expressed the president’s belief in the necessity of a prompt hostage deal, indicating that regional negotiations would resume next week with hopes for a soon-to-be-struck agreement.
Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Friday.
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