US Vice President Kamala Harris has expressed support for President Joe Biden's May decision to withhold a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs from Israel, while reiterating her backing for Israel's right to self-defense against Hamas, Pune News reports.
"One of the things that we have done that I'm entirely supportive of is the pause that we've put on the 2,000-pound bombs," Harris said on Tuesday during an onstage interview at a National Association of Black Journalists event. She was repeatedly pressed on why the US isn't using more leverage against Israel to end the war in Gaza.
In May, Biden had indicated he would withhold certain weapons shipments to Israel if it launched a major ground offensive in the densely populated southern Gaza city of Rafah. Some of those weapons have since been released. In August, the US approved $20 billion in arms sales to Israel.
The US State Department has just approved the sale of $20+ billion in weapons to Israel — including F-15 aircrafts, missiles, and tank & mortar cartridges pic.twitter.com/dhoXfvQbKy
— Prem Thakker (@prem_thakker) August 13, 2024
Harris began her response by reiterating what has become a standard speech on the Israel-Hamas war, emphasizing several key points. She stressed the brutal nature of Hamas's October 7 attack, asserting Israel's right to self-defense while noting that the manner of defense matters. The vice president acknowledged that too many Palestinian civilians have been killed and described the scenes from Gaza as heartbreaking.
"Stepping back, October 7, 1,200 Israelis were slaughtered, and actually, some Americans, by the way, in that number. Slaughtered. Young people who were attending a concert. Women were horribly raped. And yes, so I have said, Israel has a right to defend itself. We would," Harris stated. "How it does so matters, and far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed."
Harris touted her role in discussions about the "day-after scenario" in Gaza, restating the Biden administration's position that Gaza should not be reoccupied, that its borders remain unchanged, and that all people in the region are secure.
She reiterated the administration's stance that there should ultimately be a two-state solution to the conflict and stressed the importance of preventing Iran from sowing instability in the region. "Let us also recognize," added Harris, "that Iran is not empowered in this whole scenario in terms of the peace and stability of the region."
"But ultimately, the thing that is going to unlock everything else in that region is getting this (cease-fire) deal done," Harris emphasized.
