Vice President Kamala Harris said “Israel has a right to defend itself … and how it does matters.” Harris’ remarks followed a meeting she held with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington Thursday.
“It is time for this war to end and end in a way where Israel is secure, all the hostages are released, the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza ends and the Palestinian people can exercise their right to freedom, dignity and self determination,” said Harris.
Since Harris launched her campaign on Sunday, the de facto Democratic presidential nominee has been under pressure to further define her position on the Israeli war with Hamas in Gaza, now in its tenth month.
While Netanyahu spoke to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside the U.S. Capitol to protest his visit and America’s support for Israel. The protesters vandalized statues and burned American flags, replacing them with Palestinian flags.
“I condemn any individuals associating with the brutal terrorist organization Hamas, which has vowed to annihilate the State of Israel and kill Jews,” Harris said in a statement on the protests Thursday. “Pro-Hamas graffiti and rhetoric is abhorrent and we must not tolerate it in our nation.”
Biden and Netanyahu held a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office earlier in the day, after which the two heads of state met with the families of American hostages.
“We feel probably more optimistic than we have since the first round of releases in late November, early December, where a little over 100 of Israel’s hostages were released,” Jonathan Dekel-Chen, whose son Sagui is currently being held hostage in Gaza, said.
“We got absolute commitment from the Biden administration and from Prime Minister Netanyahu that they understand the urgency of this moment now, to waste no time, and to complete this deal as it currently stands.”
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