Vice President Kamala Harris addressed the press following a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in the White House complex.

Harris began by sharing a personal anecdote from her childhood, recalling how she planted trees to support Israel’s “right to defend itself.” She emphasized the complexity of the ongoing conflict in Gaza, urging Americans to understand that it is not a binary issue. “Let us all condemn terrorism and violence,” she stated. “And let us condemn antisemitism, Islamophobia and hate of any kind.”

Reflecting on her recent discussions with Prime Minister Netanyahu, Harris said, “I just had a frank and constructive meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu. I told him that I will always ensure that Israel is able to defend itself, including from Iran and Iran-backed militias such as Hamas and Hezbollah.”

“I’ve had an unwavering commitment to the existence of the State of Israel, to its security, and to the people of Israel,” she said.

  • MagicShel@programming.dev
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    4 months ago

    That seems like pretty normal political pablum. Of course she and America are committed to those things. Israel is a close ally and a President or candidate is going to affirm that commitment as a sign not just to Israel but to our other allies as well.

    • Linkerbaan@lemmy.worldOP
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      4 months ago

      Perhaps she should reconsider that allegiance with israel. It’s not very popular with voters.

      Of course Kamala taking $5.000.000 from AIPAC might be related to her allegiance.

      • MagicShel@programming.dev
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        4 months ago

        I think that’s a really bad take. I think most anti-genocide Dems are not against Israel, its people, or its right to defend itself when attacked. I think they are against indiscriminate and deliberate murder, and believe the current operations are a massive overreaction to the Hamas attack. I think they support the right of both peoples to peacefully coexist, which includes improving the human rights situation of the Palestinians even in peace time.

        Maybe I’m the one out of touch, but I don’t think so.

        • Linkerbaan@lemmy.worldOP
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          You are very much out of touch. Israel just voted to never recognize a Palestinian state.

          Peace has always been made impossible by israel. Not by Palestinians.

          • Zaktor@sopuli.xyz
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            4 months ago

            Israel’s current hard right government voted for that. Other governments have been pro two-state.

            And what’s your desired position here? Israel voted to not accept peace so we should… eliminate Israel? That’s the only conclusion where “Israel has a right to exist” is problematic.

            • mozz@mbin.grits.dev
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              4 months ago

              “Palestinians” didn’t, Hamas did. Many Palestinians hate Hamas, because they are violent and corrupt and in general dangerous to the Palestinian people.

              Israel helps prop up Hamas, instead of more realistic “partners for peace,” for exactly that reason. 😕

              Also, OP is getting started early on presenting only one side of Harris’s press conference instead of the more notably unusual for a US politician side. Does that mean she’ll break with US policy once she’s in office? Maybe not, but it’s clearly misinformation to report the one half of it without the other.

              • Linkerbaan@lemmy.worldOP
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                Israel helps prop up Hamas, instead of more realistic “partners for peace,” for exactly that reason. 😕

                You mean like the PA? Confidently saying lies doesn’t make it true.

                • mozz@mbin.grits.dev
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                  4 months ago

                  This argument is pointless.

                  Fatah is not considered a terrorist organization by any government. Israel facilitated aid to Hamas. Israeli politicians have sometimes been caught saying explicitly that they like Hamas as an adversary because their violent behavior delegitimizes Palestine on the world stage (leaving unsaid the key corollary “… and that’s more important to me than protecting innocent Israelis from atrocities, let alone Palestinians.”)

                  That’s the facts, Jack. You can disagree with them if for some reason you want to, but they will remain.

            • Letstakealook@lemm.ee
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              4 months ago

              The oppressed do not owe the oppressors civility or safety. Israel is an apartheid colonial state and the people they’ve been oppressing for 70 years have every right to take up arms.

                • Letstakealook@lemm.ee
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                  4 months ago

                  That’s what they plan to do regardless. They are intent on genocide and have been for a long time. It’s incredible that you’re trying to paint Israel as the victim. It’s incredible, but not surprising.

            • Linkerbaan@lemmy.worldOP
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              4 months ago

              And the 75 years before that the israelis just didn’t manage to get to it right. It was at the top of their agenda.

              Oh wait Abraham accords.

          • itsgoodtobeawake@lemmy.world
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            4 months ago

            It used to feel like a wild conspiracy that you might be engaging with some bad faith state-sponsored foreign actor in a forum, now its just Friday.

          • LovingHippieCat@lemmy.world
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            4 months ago

            It’s because you used periods instead of commas in your total of aipac money. That’s not proper American syntax and shows you’re from somewhere else.

              • itsgoodtobeawake@lemmy.world
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                Nobody said anything about calculators, you don’t seem to understand the question. The comments about using commas in numbers in the U.S. are 100% correct.

                You have a keen interest in posting all day about politics in a country you arent from. Can never answer a question about your own background.

                Incessantly talk shit about Israeli policy from an anti Democratic perspective without a whif of criticism of the Republicans, who would be far worse in their full throated approval of Israeli warcrimes. What is your native language? Are you able to vote in the USA?

                • Linkerbaan@lemmy.worldOP
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                  Incessantly talk shit about Israeli policy from an anti Democratic perspective without a whif of criticism of the Republicans

                  Interesting statement that proves you have not done any research. I’ll not bother with your other baseless allegations either.

              • HomerianSymphony@lemmy.world
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                The dot key on your calculator is a decimal point, not a thousands separator.

                Americans use the dot as a decimal point, and the comma as a thousands separator. This is the reverse of what most European countries do.

                An American would write $5,000,000.00

                A Frenchman (or a Russian) would write 5.000.000,00$

                • Linkerbaan@lemmy.worldOP
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                  They have Euros in France and the monetary sign comes before the number too.

                  I’m quite amused by the amount of reaching here though. You guys might accuse me of being the Boston Bomber if you keep this level of detective work going.

      • LovingHippieCat@lemmy.world
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        4 months ago

        Are you saying the majority disagree about whether Israel should exist or about whether we should continue sending weapons or about whether they should be an ally at all? Because those are three very very different things. The majority, or at least a plurality, are definitely opposed to the genocide or are at least wanting a ceasefire. But the majority also support Israel’s right to exist. They basically just disagree with the severity of Israel’s actions.

        If you’re saying that the majority don’t support Israel’s right to exist or that we shouldnt ally with them, then I’d really appreciate a citation cause nothing I can find supports that.

        • Bernie_Sandals@lemmy.world
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          The majority, or at least a plurality, are definitely opposed to the genocide or are at least wanting a ceasefire. But the majority also support Israel’s right to exist. They basically just disagree with the severity of Israel’s actions.

          THANK YOU, for pointing this out, it’s ignored completely usually, way too many people look at the polling for who wants to stop selling weapons to Israel and come away thinking “Oh a majority of people must want this state to be destroyed/abolished”.

  • Linkerbaan@lemmy.worldOP
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    4 months ago

    For any libs claiming the title is out of context, this is what she decided to start her press conference with after meeting Netanyahu.

        • mad_asshatter@lemmy.world
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          I didn’t say anything was out of line.

          YOU posted, then smugly taunted “libs”. Why don’t YOU tell me, since you felt it crucial to mention.

          • Linkerbaan@lemmy.worldOP
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            You said

            If I’m not a lib, but I think it’s out of line, then what?

            Not sure what this even means then?

            Every thread about a Democrat supporting israel is filled with libs trying to do semantical gymnastics to pretend criticism is unjust.

            See https://lemmy.world/post/17954697 for evidence.

    • Jesus@lemmy.world
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      Defense ≠ offense

      Her statement came after a week of her condemning Bibi’s offensive, saying she “will not be silent” on Gaza suffering, and ghosting Bibi during his misinformation speech to Congress.

      The GOP is now campaigning on Harris supporting terrorism. She’s trying to clarify that she’s supports defense - it’s the offense that’s killing kids that is horrid.

      • anticolonialist@lemmy.world
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        4 months ago

        Her not being at that speech is performative. She’s still gladly took that $5 million in AIPAC money. In her response to Union Station protests was probably personally handed to her by Netanyahu.

      • TrickDacy@lemmy.world
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        4 months ago

        Yet never once ever ever ever defended Israel in the slightest. You’re just trying to anger me into saying something I’ll get banned for.

        • Linkerbaan@lemmy.worldOP
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          Hasbara is truly an art. Just spout lie after lie and when called out do the same thing the next day.

          • TrickDacy@lemmy.world
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            4 months ago

            Cite one example of me defending Israel.

            Ps. Saying Biden isn’t responsible has zero to fucking do with Israel doing anything, it’s just an obvious fact to people over 12.

    • AIhasUse@lemmy.world
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      You must be so uncomfortable when you are around real life Arabs. I haven’t seen anyone so happy about what is happening in Palestine. You are at the level of some pretty nasty reddit subreddits.

      • TrickDacy@lemmy.world
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        No one cares about your lies. I won’t read your bullshit-ass comments anymore

        Edit: just wanna say for onlookers this user is the same just less dedicated. They also are full of shit. I’m tired of them flooding my inbox so I’m gonna block them now.

  • blazera@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    Guess that means we’ll keep sending bombs being primarily used against civilians

  • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    Well, this is disappointing, considering that Netanyahu defines Hamas as “anything we’ve just shot or bombed.”

  • Jesus@lemmy.world
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    Harris on Gaza yesterday:

    Harris addressed the groups who have been calling for a cease-fire and peace in the Middle East, and pushed for a two-state solution saying “I see you, I hear you.”

    “Let us all condemn terrorism and violence. Let us all do what we can to prevent the suffering of innocent civilians. And let us condemn antisemitism, Islamophobia and hate of any kind. And let us work to unite our country,” she said.

    https://abcnews.go.com/amp/Politics/netanyahu-meets-biden-amid-political-tensions-speak-harris/story?id=112274653

  • imposedsensation@lemmynsfw.com
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    I think Harris would be best served by staying as far away from this issue as possible, otherwise she will be sucked into a conflict that certainly will not be resolved before, and likely not after, the election.

    The US should probably stop sending weapons and foreign aid to Israel. They have a strong developed economy and it’s time to cut them off, regardless of this conflict.

    • xmunk@sh.itjust.works
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      I think there is incredible potential to bring out young voters if she acts well - the discord has been muted by AIPAC but young people are seriously pissed. There may be some political calculus in trying to keep AIPAC from just switching to fully supporting the GOP but I think it’s about time to declare them a foreign actor anyways… Bernie’s recent speech was powerful and accurate and young people have been much more focused on this conflicts then politicians who get bales full of money from AIPAC want to admit.

      • imposedsensation@lemmynsfw.com
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        Young people are also seriously ignorant and naive. The world is not a nice place to live. But if this is really what they want to fight about, god love em. They’re going to be out there for a long time. Personally I think avoiding autocracy at home is more important.

    • Jesus@lemmy.world
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      IMHO, she’s already pretty clearly signaled that she thinks Bibi is a POS that has killed a lot of innocent civilians.

      But she knows the GOP wants to run on false claims that the democrats want to support Hamas’ desire to wipe Israel off the map. She wanted to kneecap that argument with a statement about supporting defense.

      Her position is that she wants a two state solution, condemns the brutal offense that is killing civilians, but supports defense.

      • anticolonialist@lemmy.world
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        4 months ago

        Did you not read her statement yesterday regarding protests in Union Station? She is 100% committed to continuing Bidens approach to Gaza and Zionists.

          • anticolonialist@lemmy.world
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            Killing and starving them with our money and our weapons. But then crying about the humanity behind it all. Sorry I don’t believe it.

            • Jesus@lemmy.world
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              Has she even said that her administration would fund Bibi’s campaign in Gaza? From what I can tell, she hasn’t. And so far she’s running to the left of Biden’s policy and has been much more outspoken about civilian deaths.

              She’s part of Biden’s administration, but that doesn’t mean her administration will be Biden’s administration.

              • anticolonialist@lemmy.world
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                The language in her statement yesterday suggests she may be worse. Condemning flag burning, which is protected speech. Condemning protest, which is protected speech. Equating opposition to Zionism as antisemitism, which is bold face lie and gaslighting. Made the claim that supporters of Palestinian rights were protecting Hamas, also a bold faced lie and gaslighting. Netanyahu told our government to jump and everyone of them asked how high.

                Then finished it off with ‘hate and violence of any kind have no place in our nation.’ Which is rich coming from a country that knows nothing BUT hate and violence.

    • HubertManne@moist.catsweat.com
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      I agree but both israeli and ukraine aid have been bills so the executive have to abide by them (unless your trump apparently but some folks are trying to do their job a bit less facisty). So the last sentence harris herself will be a bit limited on. Still there it is possible to do the bare minimum.

  • anticolonialist@lemmy.world
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    Is planting trees for Israel like Biden attending civil rights protests in the 60s and being top in his law class?