Politics and Current
What Kamala Harris doesn’t say on “60 Minutes” about Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu says a lot
In a preview of Vice President Kamala Harris’s interview on “60 Minutes,” the Democratic presidential nominee appeared to further signal that if elected on November 5, she is willing to adopt a latest U.S. approach to the alliance with Israel.
More specifically, Whitaker questioned Harris on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s resistance to U.S. calls for a ceasefire and escalating tensions within the region, including in Lebanon, against Hezbollah.
“Does the US have no influence on Prime Minister Netanyahu?” asked Whitaker.
In response, Vice President Harris said that diplomacy to secure a ceasefire, release hostages and increase humanitarian aid in Gaza was a “continuous pursuit.”
“We will continue to put pressure on Israel and the region, including Arab leaders,” Harris said.
Whitaker further pressed Harris, asking the presidential candidate whether Netanyahu was a “truly close ally” of the United States. The vp avoided answering this query. Instead, she said, “The better question is whether we have a valid alliance between the American people and the Israeli people – and the answer is yes.”
Cross said Harris’ response to Netanyahu showed her “ability” to walk a delicate balance each as a vp who must uphold the policy positions of her boss – President Biden – and as a presidential candidate who will ultimately forge her own path.
The political expert said Harris “respects both roles she plays” but additionally “shows that if elected in November, there will be a new side that will likely include some level of conditionality” for Israel.
Netanyahu has faced growing criticism each in Israel and world wide for his handling of the war against Hamas, which has led to more bloodshed, including Israeli hostages in Gaza.
Cross noted that the Israeli prime minister can also be adding “fire to the embers of a potentially dangerous war with Iran, which the United States does not want.” She added: “I would argue that most of the Western world doesn’t want that either.”
Netanyahu’s leadership in Israel stays uncertain as some Israelis call on him to step down as prime minister. Some of them blamed Netanyahu for inciting the war in Gaza and failing to take enough motion to finish the war and produce back the hostages. Foreign experts too concentrate that Netanyahu probably wants the war to proceed for political reasons.
“Netanyahu, like former President Trump, is someone who does not want to go to prison for the crimes he committed and was accused of,” Cross said of the prime minister, who continues to be on trial corruption allegations in Israel.
“(He) is willing to double down on the war to protect himself from the consequences of his own actions,” Cross added.
Ultimately, Cross said, the one “real weapon the United States has” is a commitment to chop weapons and funding for Israel, something Biden has been reluctant to do.
Although Harris didn’t call for such conditions for Israel, she went further than Biden in her public statements calling for a ceasefire and acknowledging the suffering of innocent Palestinians, including women and kids. The war can also be a major concern for American voters, especially young voters, black voters and Arab Americans.
“She met with disengaged voters. She met with groups of Palestinians. She listens to them in a way that I think helps her formulate a certain ideology about what should come next,” Cross said.
“There is a better way,” she continued. “There is a way to protect your nation and say you are taking revenge on someone who committed an atrocity against you, but these innocent people did not do it.”