The US Vice President and potential Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris says a two-state solution is the only path to ensure a secure Jewish state and freedom for Palestinians.
She also gave a forceful call on the Israeli government to get a cease-fire deal done and ease the suffering of civilians in Gaza. The stance both President Biden and the Vice President took in their separate meetings with Netanyahu on Gaza reveals that Democrats somewhere have felt their aid to Israel could affect their future.
Is what Harris said her future foreign policy direction toward Israel or her divergence from the Biden administration policy? It looks like none of both except perhaps the directness of her message and a realization that more and more assistance to Israel could impact her position in the presidential election in November.
Ms. Harris said this after she met with Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday. Netanyahu will also meet former president Donald Trump today. What Mr. Trump will say about the Gaza massacre to Netanyahu is given much importance particularly when this issue is a hot debate among Americans and their wish to end this war.
Trump is the Republican nominee for the presidential election and his stance on the Gaza war will tell his future foreign policy direction toward Israel if he becomes the next president. But given the situation of Netanyahu’s yesterday’s cheerful welcome particularly by Republicans. It looks nothing big could come from him.
Netanyahu is on an official tour to the US and yesterday he addressed the US Congress and met with the President and Vice President separately. Ms. Harris is said to be the potential nominee of the Democrats after Biden endorsed her when announcing his quit from the race about four days ago. It is important to note that Biden’s administration is largely criticized for its close aid to Israel in the Gaza massacre and it also negatively impacted his popularity among different sections of American society particularly among Arab Americans and public. Arab Americans helped Biden win the presidency through voting him in swing states.
According to this Association Biden’s popularity among them was lost due to his aid to Israel. It looks like Harris has realized it and perhaps wants to settle the score through her statements. One important thing, however, is the Democrats’ future direction to Israel will impact their position and these talks may prove a step forward to end this war that has taken 39000 lives, mostly children and women in the Gaza Strip.
When he was speaking to them, thousands of American protesters came out on roads demanding an end to the war and burnt US flags and chanted in favor of Hamas. Harris after this meeting pleaded with Americans to understand the complexity of the foreign policy issue, urging them to condemn acts of hate, Islamophobia, and violence. She said, “We cannot look away in the face of these tragedies. We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering. And I will not be silent. So, to everyone who has been calling for a cease-fire, and to everyone who has been calling for peace, I see you and hear you. Let’s get the deal done to a cease-fire and to end the war. Let’s bring the hostages home, and let’s provide much-needed relief to the Palestinian people.”
In December, Harris told administration officials, including the president, she wanted the White House to show more public concern for the humanitarian devastation in Gaza and begin making plans for how to handle the aftermath of the war. Biden in the meeting was also reported urging Netanyahu to secure a cease-fire deal in Gaza and Netanyahu committed to hostages’ families he would step up negotiations with Hamas.
Biden who is no longer worried about his future after ending his reelection bid, pledged to take a tougher tone with Netanyahu to reach an agreement with Hamas to free the group’s hostages and end the fighting that has killed tens of thousands. The president met with Israeli PM for 90 minutes and then both spent an hour with the families of American hostages. The families stressed Biden and Netanyahu a deal must be concluded for the return of their loved ones. The families were reported saying that Netanyahu vowed to send a new proposal to Hamas in the coming days.
(By Rana Kashif)
