Vice President Kamala Harris has defended the Biden administration’s continued military aid to Israel amid major Israeli escalations in Lebanon and the relentless onslaught in the Gaza Strip.
“The aid that we have given Israel allowed Israel to defend itself against 200 ballistic missiles that were just meant to attack the Israelis and the people of Israel,” Harris said in an interview with 60 Minutes.
“And when we think about the threat that Hamas, Hezbollah presents Iran, I think that it is without any question, our imperative to do what we can to allow Israel to defend itself against those kinds of attacks,” she added.
Harris made the comments when asked if the US had any sway over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The interviewer noted that Netanyahu had done many things the Biden administration said it opposed, including the escalation in Lebanon. The US hasn’t put any real pressure on Netanyahu to change course since it keeps providing weapons for Israel’s military operations.
Harris claimed that the US would push Israel to reach a hostage and ceasefire deal with Hamas, but the administration hasn’t publicly criticized Netanyahu for doing everything he could to sabotage the chances of an agreement.
When pressed further about Netanyahu, Harris said, “The work that we have done has resulted in a number of movements in that region by Israel that were very much prompted by, or a result of, many things — including our advocacy for what needs to happen in the region.”
When asked if the US has a “close ally” in Netanyahu, Harris said, “I think, with all due respect, the better question is do we have an important alliance between the American people and the Israeli people. And the answer to that question is yes.”
Harris has been a staunch supporter of Israel throughout her political career and has vowed that the US would continue providing military aid to Israel if she’s elected in November.
