Israeli official says Harris more critical of Israel after talk with Netanyahu than to his face
July 26, 2024
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly upset with Vice President Kamala Harris’s remarks after the two met in Washington. After the meeting, Harris said it was time for a ceasefire in Gaza. Netanyahu claims her statement set back any potential agreement with Hamas.
On Thursday, Netanyahu held separate meetings with President Joe Biden and Vice President Harris. After her sit-down with Netanyahu, Harris reaffirmed that she is committed to arming and supporting Israel. However, she also called for a ceasefire and expressed that too many Palestinians had been killed.
According to Israeli officials speaking with Axios, Harris’s remarks irked the Israeli leader. One official said Netanyahu was taken aback by her tone following their discussion. “Harris’ statement after the meeting was much more critical than what she told Netanyahu in the meeting,” they told the outlet.
Describing the meeting to reporters, Harris said “I told him that I will always ensure that Israel is able to defend itself, including from Iran and Iran-backed militias such as Hamas and Hezbollah.” She continued, “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 have had an unwavering commitment to the existence of the state of Israel, to its security and to the people of Israel.”
The vice president also called for an end to the war in Gaza. “And as I just told Prime Minister Netanyahu, it is time to get this deal done. Let’s get the deal done. So we can get a ceasefire to end the war. Let’s bring the hostages home,” she added. “And let’s provide much-needed relief to the Palestinian people.”
Israeli officials said behind closed doors, there was little difference between the PM’s discussions with Biden and Harris. They told Axios that the sit-down with Biden “was much more constructive than his meeting with Harris, but stressed the meeting with the vice president wasn’t tense or difficult.”
The Israeli official said Netanyahu believes Harris’s remarks make an agreement with Hamas less likely and is unwilling to link a hostage deal with a permanent ceasefire. However, the vice president also said that any agreement must affirm Israel’s security. Netanyahu has argued that Israel will not be safe without the eradication of Hamas.
Prior to the meeting, a senior US official offered a similar perspective to reporters during a background briefing, saying there was “no daylight between the president and vice president” on their position on Israel.
Biden has previously called for an agreement to end the war in Gaza. In late May, the president claimed that Israel had accepted a proposal that would lead to the release of all hostages and an end to the war in Gaza.
Having stepped down from the 2024 presidential race, Biden has endorsed his VP for the Democratic nomination, which will be decided at the party convention in August.
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