Washington, Sep 18 (IANS) Vice-President Kamala Harris has said that she supports the decision in May this year made by President Joe Biden to withhold a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs from Israel but reiterated her support for Israel's right to defend itself against Hamas.
"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 during which she was repeatedly pressed on why the US isn't using more leverage against Israel to end the war in Gaza.
Harris begins her answer by going through what has become somewhat of a stump speech that she gives on the Israel-Hamas war when the issue comes up at campaign events.
She stressed the brutal nature of Hamas's October 7 onslaught; that Israel has a right to defend itself; that how it does so matters; that too many Palestinian civilians have been killed; that the scenes coming out of Gaza are heartbreaking; that the US is working tirelessly to secure a ceasefire and hostage release deal to end the war as soon as possible; that there should ultimately be a two-state solution to the conflict; and that Iran is not empowered to sow instability.
The Democratic presidential nominee added that she has been involved in talks with Israeli and Arab leaders regarding the post-war management of Gaza and reiterated that there can be no Israeli reoccupation of the Strip.
"But ultimately, the thing that is going to unlock everything else in that region is getting this (cease-fire) deal done," Harris said.
Biden said in May that he would withhold certain weapons shipments to Israel if Israel 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.
At the start of a six-minute exchange about Israel and the war in Gaza, Harris asserted that "this war has to end," and that the only way for the violence in the region to end "is by getting a hostage deal and the cease-fire deal done".
"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," said Harris.
"How it does so matters, and far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed."
Harris' comments reflected the same position she has staked out since the October 7 Hamas attacks last year, and that she has recently articulated as the Democratic presidential nominee: support Israel's right to defend itself, call for a two-state solution, stand with Biden's diplomacy in the region and condemn the killing of civilians in Gaza.
Harris touted her role in discussions with Israeli and Arab leaders about the "day-after scenario" in Gaza, restating the Biden administration's position that Gaza should not be reoccupied, that the borders of Gaza remain unchanged and that all people in the region are secure.
"Let us also recognise," added Harris, "that Iran is not empowered in this whole scenario in terms of the peace and stability of the region."
