The de facto presidential candidate draws attention to the plight of Palestinians while walking a fine line in divisive conflicts.
US Vice President Kamala Harris has vowed not to remain “silent” about the human suffering in Gaza, shifting emphasis to the plight of the Palestinians, as the de facto presidential candidate walks a fine line on one of the most controversial issues within of your Democratic Party.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington on Thursday, Harris said her commitment to Israel’s existence and security was “unwavering” but that “too many” innocent civilians had been killed. in war.
“What has happened in Gaza over the last 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,” Harris said.
“We cannot look away from these tragedies. We cannot allow ourselves to become insensitive to suffering. And I will not be silent.”
Harris, the presumptive Democratic nominee following President Joe Biden’s decision to end his reelection campaign, said she urged Netanyahu to agree to a U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal.
“It is time for this war to end and end in a way where Israel is safe, all hostages are freed, the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza ends and the Palestinian people can exercise their right to freedom, dignity and self-determination,” Harris said .
Harris also reiterated her support for Israel’s right to defend itself, condemned Hamas as a “brutal terrorist organization” and listed the names of American prisoners believed to be in Hamas captivity in Gaza.
”I have an unwavering commitment to the existence of the State of Israel, its security and the people of Israel.”
US Vice President Kamala Harris says she expressed her “serious concerns” to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu about the “scale of human suffering in Gaza”. pic.twitter.com/1U0KErqiDL
– Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) July 26, 2024
In a nod to divisions over Israel and Gaza, Harris also called on Americans to recognize the “complexity” and “nuances” of the conflict.
“Often, the conversation is binary, when the reality is anything but,” Harris said.
While Harris’ remarks did not point to substantial policy differences with Biden, her forceful invocation of Palestinian suffering contrasted with her boss’s more moderate and mostly behind-the-scenes efforts to contain Israel.
Biden’s Gaza policy has alienated progressive factions of the Democratic Party as well as many Muslim-Americans, many of whom live in Michigan, a swing state that is considered crucial to the outcome of the November elections.
Al Jazeera’s Patty Culhane, reporting from Washington, said Harris spent more time talking about the plight of Palestinians than Biden, even as she tried to bolster her credentials as a pro-Israel figure.
“She talked about the number of people who go hungry. The number of people suffering from food insecurity. The number of people who have had to move multiple times. She talked about seeing pictures of dead children,” Culhane said.
“You don’t see that in the US media. You don’t see that on the front pages of newspapers. Almost nothing. There is very little discussion about the plight of the people of Gaza.”
Although Harris positioned herself to Biden’s left during his failed 2020 presidential run, she has a long history of strong support for Israel.
After entering the US Senate in 2017, his first trip abroad was to Israel and one of his first acts in office was to present a resolution that opposed a United Nations Security Council resolution that condemned the country.
Harris also spoke at that year’s American-Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) annual convention, telling the audience that ties between the US and Israel were “unbreakable” and “we can never let anyone drive a wedge between us.”
In an interview with Israeli news site Ynet published on Tuesday, Israel’s ambassador to the US, Michael Herzog, said Harris’ overall record was “positive” but she had made “some problematic statements” about the war in Gaza. .
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
