Vice President Kamala Harris, in a new interview, danced around a series of questions about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — including whether she believes the U.S. should consider him a “close ally.”
In an interview with CBS’ Bill Whitaker to air Monday on 60 Minutes (which was previewed on Sunday’s Face the Nation), the vice president was pressed about Netanyahu rebuffing various U.S. calls for deescalation.
“We supply Israel with billions of dollars in military aid,” Whitaker said. “And yet Prime Minister Netanyahu seems to be charting his own course. The Biden-Harris administration has pressed him to agree to a cease fire. He’s resisted. You urged him not to go into Lebanon. He went in anyway. He has promised to make Iran pay for the missile attacks. And that has the potential of expanding the war. Does the U.S. have no sway over Prime Minister Netanyahu?”
Harris responded without mentioning Netanyahu at all.
“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. “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. Now, the work that we do diplomatically with the leadership of Israel is an ongoing pursuit around making clear our principles, which include the need for humanitarian aid, the need for this war to end, the need for a deal to be done, which would release the hostages and create a ceasefire. And we’re not going to stop in terms of putting that pressure on Israel and in the region, including Arab leaders.”
Whitaker pressed Harris to comment specifically on Netanyahu.
“But it seems that Prime Minister Netanyahu is not listening,” Whitaker said.
Harris again did not mention the prime minister.
“Well Bill, 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.” Harris said.
The 60 Minutes correspondent tried one more time.
“Do we have a real close ally in Netanyahu?” Whitaker asked.
“I think, with all due respect, the better question is do we have an important alliance between the American people and the Israeli people,” Harris said — again dodging. “And the answer to that question is yes.”
The 60 Minutes interview with Whitaker is a high-stakes showdown for Harris — who has not often engaged with national journalists since launching her bid for the presidency. She is slated to ramp up her media presence this week by participating in a series of interviews with various entertainment hosts including; Howard Stern, Stephen Colbert, and Call Her Daddy podcast host Alex Cooper. But her sitdown with Whitaker represents only the second solo interview she has done with a national news journalist since President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 race. The other, conducted by MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle on Sept. 27, was dismissed by some critics as a non-confrontational interview on a partisan outlet.
Former President Donald Trump declined 60 Minutes interview request for the broadcast airing Monday. For decades, with few exceptions, both presidential candidates have appeared on the show in the weeks leading up to the election.
Watch above, via CBS.
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