The de facto presidential candidate has maintained a cautious strategy to the divisive battle, drawing consideration to the plight of the Palestinians.
US Vice President Kamala Harris pledged to not stay “silent” in regards to the struggling in Gaza, shifting focus to the plight of Palestinians because the de facto presidential candidate remained cautious on the battle that has divided Democrats Angle.
After assembly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington on Thursday, Harris informed reporters that her dedication to Israel’s existence and safety was “unwavering” however that “too many” harmless civilians had been killed within the struggle.
“What has occurred in Gaza over the previous 9 months has been devastating. Photos of lifeless youngsters and determined, hungry folks fleeing for security, generally being displaced for a second, third or fourth time,” Harris mentioned .
“We can’t flip a blind eye within the face of those tragedies. We can’t permit ourselves to turn into numb to the struggling. And I cannot stay silent.
Harris, the projected Democratic nominee following President Joe Biden’s resolution to finish his re-election bid, mentioned she had urged Netanyahu to conform to a U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal.
“It’s time for this struggle to finish, with Israel secure, all hostages freed, the struggling of Palestinians in Gaza ended, and the Palestinian folks capable of train their freedom, dignity and proper to self-determination,” Harris mentioned.
Harris additionally reiterated her assist for Israel’s proper to self-defense, denounced Hamas as a “brutal terrorist group” and listed the names of U.S. prisoners believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza.
“I’ve an unwavering dedication to the existence of the State of Israel, its safety and its folks.”
US Vice President Kamala Harris mentioned she expressed “grave considerations” to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in regards to the “scale of human struggling” in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/1U0KErqiDL
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) July 26, 2024
Acknowledging the variations over Israel and Gaza, Harris additionally known as on People to acknowledge the “complexities” and “nuances” of the battle.
“Loads of instances, the dialog is binary and the truth isn’t,” Harris mentioned.
Whereas Harris’ feedback didn’t point out a substantive coverage distinction with Biden, her robust invocation of the struggling of the Palestinians contrasted along with her boss’s extra reasonable, principally behind-the-scenes efforts to constrain Israel.
Biden’s Gaza coverage has alienated the progressive wing of the Democratic Get together in addition to many Muslim People, a lot of whom reside in Michigan, a key swing state thought of essential to the result of November’s election.
Al Jazeera’s Patty Culhane reported from Washington that Harris spent extra time speaking in regards to the struggling of Palestinians than Biden did, whilst she sought to bolster her credibility as a pro-Israel determine.
“She talked in regards to the quantity of people that had been hungry. The quantity of people that had been meals insecure. The quantity of people that needed to transfer a number of instances. She talked about seeing footage of lifeless youngsters,” Culhan mentioned.
“You do not see it within the American media. You do not see it on the entrance pages of newspapers. There may be virtually none. There may be little or no dialogue in regards to the plight of the folks of Gaza.
Though Harris positioned herself to the left of Biden throughout his failed 2020 presidential bid, she has lengthy been a powerful supporter of Israel.
After coming into the U.S. Senate in 2017, her first abroad journey was to Israel. One among her first actions after taking workplace was to suggest a decision to oppose a United Nations Safety Council decision condemning the nation.
Harris additionally spoke on the annual convention of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) that 12 months, telling the viewers that the bond between america and Israel is “unbreakable” and “we are able to by no means permit anybody to drive a wedge between us.”
Israel’s ambassador to america, Michael Herzog, mentioned in an interview with Israeli information website Ynet on Tuesday that Harris’ general report was “optimistic” however that she had made “fairly just a few questionable statements” in regards to the Gaza struggle.
