WASHINGTON ― Vice President Kamala Harris, suddenly also the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, on Thursday quietly became the White House’s public face on the Israel-Hamas war.
While Harris and President Joe Biden both had meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, it was Harris, not Biden, who gave a detailed debriefing.
“I’ve said it many times, but it bears repeating: Israel has a right to defend itself. And how it does so matters,” she said. “I also expressed with the prime minister my serious concern about the scale of human suffering in Gaza, including the death of far too many innocent civilians.”
The six minutes of remarks, which she delivered from her ceremonial office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building while referring to notes, were not on her daily schedule released Wednesday night and were announced only minutes ahead of time. They were notable for their frequent use of the personal pronoun “I” rather than “we” or “the administration,” as is generally the case when a White House official other than the president is delivering a statement on the White House’s position.
Indeed, Harris opened her remarks with an explanation of her personal commitment to the Jewish state.
“From when I was a young girl, collecting funds to plant trees for Israel, to my time in the United States Senate and now at the White House, I’ve had an unwavering commitment to the existence of the State of Israel, to its security and to the people of Israel,” she said.
Though Harris did acknowledge and credit Biden for his leadership on the issue to date, including a plan to end Israel’s assault on the Palestinian territory in return for Hamas’ release of the remaining hostages it seized on Oct. 7, her decision to spell out her own views reflects the reality that should she win the presidential election in November, American foreign policy would be in her hands starting on Jan. 20, 2025.
“As I just told Prime Minister Netanyahu, it is time to get this deal done. So to everyone who has been calling for a cease-fire and to everyone who yearns 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,” Harris said. “And ultimately I remain committed to a path forward that can lead to a two-state solution.”
