US Vice President Kamala Harris said in an interview with CBS News that there should be a distinction between the Israeli people and the Israeli government.
Israelis deserve security and the United States will continue to “stand for the security of Israel and its people,” Harris said in the interview when asked whether Israel is at risk of losing support from the US over its handling of the war in Gaza.
Harris criticized Hamas for over its October 7 attack, noting that Israeli victims who were “horribly abused and raped, rape being a tool of war.”
“It’s important for us to distinguish or at least not conflate the Israeli government with the Israeli people. The Israeli people are entitled to security – as are the Palestinians. In equal measure,” she told CBS News.
“And our work as always as the United States is to do what we must, and what we always have, to stand for the security of Israel and its people, and also to do what we have done behind closed doors and in public around forcing a better path forward in terms of what’s happening currently in Gaza,” added the Vice President.
Harris was asked if she is losing confidence in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and replied, “This conflict has to end as soon as possible, and how it does so matters. We need to get the hostages out, we need humanitarian aid to go in and ultimately we need a two-state solution.”
Her interview with CBS came days after she called on Israel and Hamas to accept a deal that would begin a six-week ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
“Given the immense scale of suffering in Gaza, there must be in immediate ceasefire — for at least the next six weeks, which is what is currently on the table,” Harris said in Selma, Alabama last Sunday.
"Hamas claims it wants a ceasefire. Well, there is a deal on the table. And as we have said, Hamas needs to agree to that deal," added Harris.
She also called on the Israeli government to do more to increase the flow of aid into Gaza, saying Gazans were suffering from a humanitarian catastrophe in which the conditions were inhumane.
"People in Gaza are starving. The conditions are inhumane and our common humanity compels us to act," Harris said. "The Israeli government must do more to significantly increase the flow of aid. No excuses."
On Monday, Harris met with Minister Benny Gantz at the White House. According to a statement from the White House, Harris “again condemned the brutal October 7th terrorist attack by Hamas and the taking of hostages, including American citizens. She reiterated US support for Israel’s right to defend itself in the face of ongoing Hamas terrorist threats, and underscored our unwavering commitment to Israel’s security.”
At the same time, the statement said, the Vice President “expressed her deep concern about the humanitarian conditions in Gaza and the recent horrific tragedy around an aid convoy in northern Gaza.”
“The Vice President discussed the urgency of achieving a hostage deal and welcomed Israel’s constructive approach to the hostage talks. She called on Hamas to accept the terms on the table whereby the release of hostages would result in an immediate six-week ceasefire and enable a surge of humanitarian assistance throughout Gaza,” the White House said.
Harris and Gantz “discussed the situation in Rafah and the need for a credible and implementable humanitarian plan prior to contemplating any major military operation there given the risks to civilians,” it continued.
The Vice President “urged Israel to take additional measures in cooperation with the United States and international partners to increase the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza and ensure its safe distribution to those in need.”
