LAST UPDATE | 25 Jul
ISREALI PRIME MINISTER Benjamin Netanyahu has met with US vice president Kamala Harris this evening during his diplomatic visit to Washington.
The White House has struggled to thread the political needle in maintaining traditional support for Israel during its offensive in Gaza, which has been heavily condemned by left-leaning voters in the United States.
Harris has been more outspoken on Gaza in the past and there has been speculation that she could adopt a tougher approach on Israel.
“We have a lot to talk about,” Harris said as they shook hands. Netanyahu replied: “We do indeed.”
Netanyahu earlier met separately with President Joe Biden but his later sit-down with presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Harris reflected the new political reality of Biden being a lame duck for the next six months.
In his Oval Office meeting with Biden, the Israeli leader paid tribute to his counterpart.
“From a proud Zionist Jew to a proud Zionist Irish American, I want to thank you for 50 years of public service and 50 years of support for the State of Israel,” Netanyahu said at the start of the meeting.
“And I look forward to discussing with you today and working with you in the months ahead.”
The White House said Biden would keep pushing for a ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas, a potentially legacy-defining achievement if it happens.
Biden’s administration said it still believed that Netanyahu was ready for an agreement despite a fiery speech to the US Congress on Wednesday in which he vowed “total victory” against Hamas.
“The president will be reaffirming for Prime Minister Netanyahu that he believes we need to get there, and we need to get there soon,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.
“We can achieve a deal, but it’s going to require, as it always does, some leadership, some compromise.”
Biden and Netanyahu later met the families of US hostages held in Gaza, who called the meeting “productive and honest.”
Earlier, Harris condemned the “despicable” and “unpatriotic” burning of an American flag by protesters who rallied in Washington yesterday during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress.
“I condemn the burning of the American flag. That flag is a symbol of our highest ideals as a nation and represents the promise of America. It should never be desecrated in that way,” the Democratic presidential candidate said in an unusually strong statement.
She said yesterday’s demonstration featured “despicable acts by unpatriotic protestors and dangerous hate-fueled rhetoric.”
Harris added: “I condemn any individuals associating with the brutal terrorist organization Hamas, which has vowed to annihilate the State of Israel and kill Jews. Pro-Hamas graffiti and rhetoric is abhorrent and we must not tolerate it in our nation.”
While she said she supports “the right to peacefully protest,” she added: “Let’s be clear: Antisemitism, hate and violence of any kind have no place in our nation.”
The statement, echoed by other senior Democrats, came amid attempts by Republicans to paint the party as pro-Hamas.
“Anti-American and pro-Hamas rioters burned the American flag in front of the US Capitol, and the woman who wants to be our president is still refusing to condemn it,” Senator J.D. Vance, who is running for vice president alongside Donald Trump, wrote on social media just before Harris’s statement was issued.
Anti-American and pro-Hamas rioters burned the American flag in front of the US Capitol, and the woman who wants to be our president is still refusing to condemn it. https://t.co/R8K9VM6HaN
— JD Vance (@JDVance) July 25, 2024
Thousands of demonstrators angry over the war in Gaza marched on the heavily guarded US Capitol yesterday as Netanyahu delivered an uncompromising speech to lawmakers.
A group of protesters gathered outside a train station near the Capitol, where they spray-painted monuments, burned Netanyahu in effigy, and lit American flags on fire – a raucous end to a mostly peaceful march.
“I have a message for these protesters: When the tyrants of Tehran who hang gays from cranes and murder women for not covering their hair are praising, promoting and funding you, you have officially become Iran’s useful idiots,” said Netanyahu.
During his address to Congress, Netanyahu claimed that US military aid could “dramatically expedite an end to the war in Gaza and help prevent a broader war in the Middle East”.
Influential former House speaker Nancy Pelosi called it “by far the worst presentation of any foreign dignitary” invited to speak before Congress.
“Many of us who love Israel spent time today listening to Israeli citizens whose families have suffered in the wake of the 7 October Hamas terror attack and kidnappings,” said Pelosi.
“These families are asking for a ceasefire deal that will bring the hostages home – and we hope the Prime Minister would spend his time achieving that goal.”
-With additional reporting from - © AFP 2024
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