Harris after meeting with Netanyahu: "There is a deal, it's time to end the war""

July 26, 2024   

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Vice President and Democratic Party candidate for the 2024 elections Kamala Harris met in Washington tonight (Thursday). The two posed for a photo together at the beginning of their meeting, which lasted about 40 minutes, but refrained from issuing a joint statement to the media. At the end of the meeting, Harris issued a statement. She described the meeting with Netanyahu as "candid and constructive," and stated: "I told him that I would always ensure that Israel can defend itself, including against Iran and Iranian-backed militias, such as Hamas and Hezbollah." She added: "From the time I was a child raising money to plant trees in Israel, through my time in the Senate and now in the White House, I have had an unwavering commitment to the existence of the State of Israel, to its security, and to the people of Israel." She said, "I've said it many times, but it bears repeating: Israel has the right to defend itself, and the way it does so matters. Hamas is a brutal terrorist organization. On October 7, Hamas began this war by murdering 1,200 innocent people, including 44 Americans. Hamas committed horrific acts of sexual violence and kidnapped 250 people. There are still American citizens being held captive in Gaza, and the bodies of American citizens are still being held in Gaza." She noted that she had met with the families of the American hostages several times, "and I told them they are not alone and I stand with them, and President Biden and I are working every day to bring them home." However, Harris expressed concern about the devastating humanitarian situation in Gaza, and showed extraordinary empathy for the suffering of the Palestinians, to the point that Gaza seems to be at the top of her agenda - and Israel is at the bottom of the list of priorities: "I expressed my concern about the scale of human suffering in Gaza, including the deaths of far too many innocent civilians, and I made clear my concern about the dire humanitarian situation there. We cannot turn a blind eye to these tragedies, and I will not remain silent about it. "Thanks to our President, Joe Biden, there is a deal on the table for a ceasefire and the return of hostages. It is time for this war to end, and it will end in a way that Israel is safe, all the hostages are released, the suffering of the Palestinians in Gaza is ended, and the Palestinian people can exercise their right to freedom, dignity, and self-determination." She added: "As I just said to Prime Minister Netanyahu, it is time to close this deal." Harris emphasized: "I remain committed to a path that will lead to a two-state solution... The two-state solution is the only path that ensures that Israel remains a safe, Jewish, and democratic state, and one that ensures that the Palestinians can finally realize the freedom, security, and prosperity they deserve." Harris met separately with Netanyahu, after missing the prime minister's historic speech to Congress yesterday due to "scheduling constraints.".