United States Vice President Kamala Harris could be set to become the 47th US president after President Joe Biden quit the race on Sunday evening, setting the stage for a showdown between Harris and Republican candidate, former president Donald Trump.
In his statement, Biden offered his “full support and endorsement” for Harris’ Democratic nomination for president, seemingly paving a clear path for the vice president’s ascent to the presidency.
While it is still unclear whether other senior Democrats would challenge Harris for the party’s nomination, Harris’ rhetoric toward Israel, especially since October 7 and the war in Gaza, had towed the same line as President Biden’s.
Harris has been more vocal in calling out the humanitarian catastrophe that has unfolded in Gaza throughout the nine-month war, saying in early March that “People in Gaza are starving.”
Arguing that Palestinian suffering in Gaza must end through the increase of food shipments and a six-week ceasefire coupled with a hostage deal, the vice president stated that “the conditions are inhuman, and our common humanity compels us to act. As [US] President Joe Biden said, the US is committed to get more life-saving assistance to innocent Palestinians in need urgently.”
Harris also called on Israel to “do more” to ensure the delivery of aid, including in the opening of additional land crossings into Gaza, adding that there can be “no excuses” in this regard.
In April, Harris met with families of American-Israeli hostages held in Gaza at the White House. “The Vice President underscored that President Biden and she have no higher priority than reuniting the hostages with their loved ones. She also reaffirmed the US commitment to bring home the remains of those who have been tragically confirmed to be deceased,” a statement from the meeting read.
Later that same month, in a phone conversation with President Isaac Herzog, Harris reassured him of the administration’s “commitment to Israel’s security, including international efforts to ensure Israel can defend itself against Iran and its proxies.”
Kamala Harris on two-state solution: Short answer is yes
Harris has also been vocal in support of the two-state solution. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference back in February, Harris firmly called for a two-state solution as the answer to Israeli and Palestinian peace and security on the global stage, The Jerusalem Post‘s Hannah Sarisohn reported.
“The short answer is yes,” Harris said when questioned whether such a solution is achievable. “I do believe it is, but we must put the discussion in context. Starting with October 7, Hamas committed a terrorist act that was about slaughtering over 1,200 Israelis, innocent people, many of them young people who are attending a concert. Women were horribly tortured and raped, raped, being used as a tool of war and it is important that we remember what that was.”
Harris went on to say understanding that Israel has a right to defend itself, how it does still matters.
Tovah Lazaroff and Hannah Sarisohn contributed to this report.
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