Vice President Kamala Harris to Host Netanyahu at White House This Week

Washington, DC July 23 :
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential contender Kamala Harris at the White House this week during his U.S. visit, according to an adviser to Harris, who made the announcement on July 22. According to her assistant, Harris has a previously-scheduled event in Indianapolis on July 24 and will not be able to preside over Netanyahu's planned address to a joint session of Congress on the same day.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Ben Cardin will preside over Netanyahu's remarks in Harris's absence. According to her assistant, the meeting between Harris and Netanyahu is unrelated to his planned meeting with Joe Biden, the Democratic U.S. presidential candidate who endorsed Harris and stood down as a candidate for the 2024 elections. Joe Biden is on the mend after contracting the COVID-19 virus.

Trump, the Republican presidential contender, has still not agreed to meet with Netanyahu in person, according to Politico. The aide to Harris reaffirmed her support for Israel and stated that she will convey her concerns to Netanyahu regarding the humanitarian situation in Gaza. The assault by Israel has resulted in the deaths of more than 39,000 Palestinians, the destruction of nearly the entire enclave, a severe food crisis, and the displacement of nearly the entire 2.3 million population, as reported by the Gaza health ministry.

Israeli estimates put the death toll at 1,200 and the number of hostages abducted at roughly 250 after an attack by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas on October 7. The aide went on to say that Harris will talk about trying to negotiate a truce.

Biden laid up a three-pronged plan for a truce and the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners at the end of May. The plan called for Israel to withdraw from Gaza and reconstruct the coastal enclave. Efforts to end the fighting are still continuing.

Human rights campaigners have taken to the streets, both at home and abroad, to oppose Washington's backing of Israel. In connection with allegations of war crimes, the office of the prosecutor at the International Criminal Court has lately sought an arrest order for Netanyahu. Additionally, Israel is accused of genocide, a charge that it disputes.