I am frustrated and perplexed by Vice-President Kamala Harris' remarks regarding Israel after meeting with Arab leaders in Dubai during a UN Climate Conference:
President Biden and I have also been clear with the Israeli government public and in private many times: as Israel defends itself, it matters how. The United States is unequivocal international humanitarian law must be respected. Too many innocent Palestinians have been killed. Frankly, the scale of civilian suffering, and the images and videos coming from Gaza are devastating.
So, what does Harris want from Israel?
Harris knows full well that Hamas uses the civilian population in Gaza as human shields. So long as this is the case then when Israel fights back against Hamas, civilians are going to be killed.
With this in mind, is Harris telling Israel it should agree to an immediate ceasefire knowing full well Hamas will pull another October 7th attack? Is Harris telling Israel that they must learn to live with Hamas?
If this is not the case, then what would Harris (who has no military experience) have Israel do instead?
Or was Harris' message not truly intended for Israel? Was it rather intended for an American audience, specifically the Democratic Party base which has become increasingly unsympathetic towards Israel?
If this is the case, then I not only think it is a highly cynical statement, but one that is unlikely to persuade voters to cast a ballot for her and President Biden next year.
Vice-President Harris' statement is simply unhelpful. President Biden ought to steer her clear of foreign affairs.
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