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From the New York Post: Vice President Kamala Harris slammed the Israeli government for killing “far too many” civilians in the Gaza Strip — saying “I will not be silent,” despite also pledging “unwavering” support for the Jewish state’s right to exist after meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Harris, in her first remarks on the conflict as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, said Thursday evening “it is time for this war to end” and argued the conflict was not a “binary issue” despite historical American backing for Israel.
“To everyone who has been calling for a ceasefire, and to everyone who yearns for peace, I see you and I hear you,” Harris, 59, said in remarks shortly after Netanyahu departed the White House.
“What has happened in Gaza over the past nine months is devastating — the images of dead children and desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety, sometimes displaced for the second, third or fourth time,” 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.”
Implying she already had full authority, Harris said she told Netanyahu that “I will always ensure that Israel is able to defend itself.”
“Israel has a right to defend itself,” she said, acknowledging that Hamas triggered the war when it attacked Israel on October 7. She acknowledged the hostages still being held by Hamas, and claimed, “President Biden and I are working every day to bring them home.”
Harris then focused on the Palestinians, saying, “I also expressed with the prime minister my serious concern about the scale of human suffering in Gaza, including the death of far too many innocent civilians.”
This comes after Harris snubbed Netanyahu’s address to a joint session of congress on Wednesday, and a mob of thousands of pro-Hamas and pro-Palestine activists have descended on Washington, D.C. this week in violent protests, burning US flags, vandalizing statues and attacking police.
Ahead of Harris’s speech, she came out for a 14-second photo-op, shook hands with Netanyahu, then kicked the press out of the room.
Kamala’s appearance with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu — after she snubbed his address to Congress — lasted a grand total of 14 seconds before the press was kicked out of the room. pic.twitter.com/8QkmW1sx4r
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 25, 2024
WATCH Harris’s full 6-minute speech below:
