Former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of attempting to undermine President Joe Biden, suggesting that Netanyahu hoped to deal with a future U.S. president more willing to accept “very extreme proposals” regarding Gaza.
اضافة اعلان
These remarks appear in Harris’s new book, 107 Days, released in the U.S. on Tuesday, in which she detailed a tense meeting with Netanyahu in July 2024. Harris explained that Netanyahu disregarded what she described as “Biden’s loyalty to Israel” and instead sought to interact with another president, viewing the meeting as a stalling tactic. She described Israel’s military campaign at that time as “unproductive.”
Harris added that Biden was “constrained and unable” to address the suffering of Palestinians due to his close relationship with Israel. Her efforts to persuade him to extend the empathy he showed toward Ukrainians to innocent civilians in Gaza were unsuccessful. She also described Biden’s public statements on Palestinians as “insufficient and contrived,” despite his affirmation of support for Israel.
The book also revealed internal tensions within the White House, noting sharp criticism Harris received from Biden’s aides after a speech she delivered in March 2024 in Alabama, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and describing the situation there as a “humanitarian crisis.” The speech circulated widely and angered Biden’s team, who felt Harris highlighted the humanitarian crisis more clearly than expected.
Harris described facing pro-Palestinian protests during her campaign, with demonstrators accusing her of supporting “genocide” and vowing not to vote for her. She noted that the situation was not entirely binary, but she believed that either boycotting the election or supporting a third-party candidate could have paved the way for Donald Trump’s victory, undermining any prospects for a fair peace or a two-state solution.
She also recounted her efforts to find a running mate, discussing with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, known for pro-Israel positions, how he would handle Gaza protests if chosen. He reportedly acknowledged his past positions were mistaken and affirmed his current support for a two-state solution.
Harris criticized her alignment with Biden in public appearances, citing an October 2024 The View appearance where she stated she would not have acted differently from the president. She realized that voters expected her to clearly differentiate herself from Biden on Gaza.
She concluded by referencing post-election polls indicating that some 2020 Biden voters who refused to support her cited “ending Israeli violence in Gaza” as their primary reason, surpassing concerns over the economy, immigration, or abortion, highlighting the significant impact of the humanitarian crisis on voter perceptions of her policies.
