Claim:
On July 22, 2024, Vice President Kamala Harris said, "Our support for Israel will continue" amid Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the United States.
Rating:
False ( About this rating? )
Context:
While Harris did not use the above words, she has continuously supported Israel amid its assault on Gaza. Recently she called for a temporary cease-fire, becoming the first person in the Biden administration to do so, and for more humanitarian aid to enter Gaza.
As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the United States in July 2024, amid Israel's ongoing bombardment of Gaza, a purported quote from Vice President Kamala Harris went viral. According to a post on X, Harris purportedly solidified her ties with Israel by saying, "Our support for Israel will continue."
The post had more than 9 million views and was shared more than 4,000 times.
(X user @GlobeEyeNews)
We found no evidence that Harris used those words over the course of Netanyahu's visit, or at any other time in recent months. She did not attend Netanyahu's address to Congress on July 24, 2024, because of other commitments, though she planned to meet with the prime minister during his visit. Harris has, however, supported Israel during its army operations in Gaza, while advocating for a cease-fire and calling for more humanitarian aid. As such, we rate this claim as "False."
The most recent statement Harris released regarding the Israel-Hamas war condemned pro-Palestine demonstrators in Washington, D.C., for burning American flags. On July 24, 2024, many protesters gathered to condemn Netanyahu after his speech to Congress and call for an end to the war in Gaza, where more than 39,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli military operations.
Harris' statement read: "I condemn any individuals associating with the brutal terrorist organization Hamas, which has vowed to annihilate the State of Israel and kill Jews. … 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."
While U.S. President Joe Biden has been vocally pro-Israel even before the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, many analysts describe Harris as possibly changing her stance over time. Harris was criticized by Republicans for skipping Netanyahu's speech in favor of attending a previously scheduled gathering of a historically Black sorority in Indianapolis. She was expected to meet Netanyahu separately on July 25, 2024.
Quoting an anonymous aide , The Wall Street Journal reported that Harris was expected to tell Netanyahu to end the war "in a way where Israel is secure, all hostages are released, the suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can enjoy their right to dignity, freedom, and self-determination."
While being vocally pro-Israel, Harris has also been the first in the Biden administration to call for a cease-fire — albeit a temporary one — in a March 2024 speech . She also called for more humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Amid uncertainty over her stance on Israel, Harris' husband, Doug Emhoff, appeared in a July 24 Zoom call organized by the Jewish Democratic Council of America and Jewish Women for Kamala, where he said : "Let me just make this clear: The vice president has been and will be a strong supporter of Israel as a secure democratic and Jewish state, and she will always ensure that Israel can defend itself, period. Because that's who Kamala Harris is."
In an early-July 2024 interview with The Nation , Harris expressed concern for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as well as sympathy with young pro-Palestine demonstrators. She said, "They are showing exactly what the human emotion should be, as a response to Gaza. There are things some of the protesters are saying that I absolutely reject, so I don't mean to wholesale endorse their points. But we have to navigate it. I understand the emotion behind it."
Harris also has been on many phone calls with Israeli President Isaac Herzog since Oct. 7, 2023. Harris has close ties to pro-Israel lobbying groups, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. She gave a speech at the organization's annual conference in 2017.
In December 2023, while visiting Dubai, Harris reaffirmed the Biden administration's stance on Israel's right to defend itself from Hamas. She also said Israel "must do more to protect civilian life" and that "international humanitarian law must be respected."
Analysts have described her as "moderate" on Israel, with her early criticism of Netanyahu as a nod to progressives.
While Harris has appeared to diverge slightly from Biden on Israel, many pro-Palestine activists are still waiting to see what her stance will be ahead of the presidential elections. She has continued to remain in line with most Democrats who are largely supportive of Israel's military campaign in Gaza.
Sources:
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Crowley, Kinsey. "Here's What Kamala Harris Has Said on Israel, Gaza Conflict." USA TODAY, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/07/22/kamala-harris-gaza-israel-hamas-policy/74499016007/ . Accessed 25 July 2024.
Dovere, Edward-Isaac. "Harris Navigates Biden and Netanyahu as She Considers Her Stance on Israel | CNN Politics." CNN, 25 July 2024, https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/25/politics/kamala-harris-israel-policy/index.html. " target="blank">https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/25/politics/kamala-harris-israel-policy/index.html.">https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/25/politics/kamala-harris-israel-policy/index.html. Accessed 25 July 2024.
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Gordon, Michael R., and Lara Seligman. "Harris's Support for Gaza Cease-Fire Hints at Foreign-Policy Shift." Wall Street Journal, 23 July 2024, https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/harriss-support-for-gaza-cease-fire-hints-at-foreign-policy-shift-bbe8dc2a. " target="blank">https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/harriss-support-for-gaza-cease-fire-hints-at-foreign-policy-shift-bbe8dc2a.">https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/harriss-support-for-gaza-cease-fire-hints-at-foreign-policy-shift-bbe8dc2a. Accessed 25 July 2024.
Harb, Ali. "As US Congress Cheered for Netanyahu, Protesters Gathered to Denounce Him." Al Jazeera, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/7/24/as-us-congress-cheered-for-netanyahu-protesters-gathered-to-denounce-him . Accessed 25 July 2024. Accessed 25 July 2024.
"Harris Condemns Flag Burning, Hamas Graffiti at Protest in Washington." Reuters, 25 July 2024. www.reuters.com, https://www.reuters.com/world/us/harris-condemns-flag-burning-pro-palestinian-protest-washington-2024-07-25/. " target="blank">https://www.reuters.com/world/us/harris-condemns-flag-burning-pro-palestinian-protest-washington-2024-07-25/.">https://www.reuters.com/world/us/harris-condemns-flag-burning-pro-palestinian-protest-washington-2024-07-25/. Accessed 25 July 2024.
Meyer, Josh. "VP Harris Presses Israel on Civilian Deaths in Gaza. What Does International Law Say?" USA TODAY, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/israel-hamas/2023/12/08/israel-war-crimes-gaza/71731325007/ . Accessed 25 July 2024.
Narea, Nicole. "What Kamala Harris Really Thinks about Israel and Gaza." Vox, 24 July 2024, https://www.vox.com/2024-elections/362782/kamala-harris-gaza-israel-palestine-biden-netanyahu. " target="blank">https://www.vox.com/2024-elections/362782/kamala-harris-gaza-israel-palestine-biden-netanyahu.">https://www.vox.com/2024-elections/362782/kamala-harris-gaza-israel-palestine-biden-netanyahu. Accessed 25 July 2024.
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