In Gaza war cease-fire call, Kamala Harris ignores Hamas: ‘Get this deal done immediately’
Vice President Kamala Harris' position on international terrorism has been in the hot seat since her assention to the top spot on the Democratic presidential ticket, and some have been underwhelmed.
In a faltering attempt at a commander-in-chief stance, Harris called Thursday for an end to the war between Israel and Gaza, as The New York Post reported.
However, the presidential candidate conspiciously omitted the name of the terrorist group that began the conflict by attacking the state of Israel during a time of peace, saying only saying that a cease-fire deal must be “done immediately.”
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While addressing the National Association of Black Journalists in Philadelphia, the Democratic contender also offered an unusual outlook on the repercussions of the fighting in the Middle East.
“That there be no reoccupation of Gaza, that there be no changing of the territorial lines in Gaza, that there be an ability to have security in the region for all concerned in a way that we create stability,” she said.
Regarding the question of who should control the Palestinian enclave in the absence of an Israeli force, she did not go on to elaborate further.
Inconsistencies
The 59-year-old Harris also made an error when he said that the jihadist group "slaughtered" "1,200 Israelis" and "some Americans" on October 7.
However, US officials have stated that at least 40 US citizens died in the massacre, and they have included their deaths in the estimate of nearly 1,200 casualties.
The VP went on to say that “far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed” in the conflict and reiterated that US has promised to stay with the the long-standing “goal of a two-state solution, ecause there must be stability and peace in that region … our goal is to ensure that Israelis have security and Palestinians, in equal measure, have security, have self-dimension and dignity”
A vocal minority of Israel critics based in crucial states like Michigan, which has the largest Arab population in the US, have made life difficult for Democrats this election cycle by encouraging voters to mark "uncommitted" in party primaries earlier this year.
From Israel
According to Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, a two-state solution and a ceasefire would conflict with the Jewish state's legitimate right to protect itself from Iranian proxies like Hezbollah and Hamas.
The VP went on to say that she was in "support" of the US decision to halt the shipment of 2,000 pounds of bombs to Israel in May, even though Harris merely referred to Israel's right to self-defense.
“There is some leverage that we have had and used,” Harris said of the weapons halt, adding that “we are doing the work of putting the pressure on all parties involved to get the deal done.”
To keep pushing for negotiations, Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to Egypt on Tuesday; however, he will not be visiting Israel, which could indicate that a deal is not imminent.