Kamala Harris on Changing Policy on Arms to Israel: ‘No’

Vice President Kamala Harris attends a Hispanic Heritage Month reception, Wednesday, Octob
White House/Oliver Contreras via Flickr
Nick Gilbertson

Democrat presidential nominee Kamala Harris said “no” when CNN’s Dana Bash asked her if she would change policy regarding supplying arms and weaponry to Israel in its war against Hamas.

Bash pressed Vice President Harris on the matter during her first sitdown interview more than a month after she became the presumptive Democrat nominee.

“President Biden has tried unsuccessfully to end the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. He’s been doing it for months and months along with you. Would you do anything differently?” Bash asked Harris, explicitly pointing to potentially withholding arms from Israel.

Harris did not directly answer Bash’s question.

“Let me be very clear. I’m unequivocal and unwavering in my commitment to Israel’s defense and its ability to defend itself, and that’s not going to change,” Harris said before declaring a deal must be reached to end the war without offering a clear plan to do so:

But let’s take a step back; October 7, 1200 people were massacred, many young people who are simply attending a music festival. Women were horribly raped. As I said then, I say today, Israel had a right, has a right to defend itself. We would. And how it does so matters. Far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed, and we have got to get a deal done. We were in Doha. We have to get a deal done. This war must end. We must get a deal that is about getting the hostages out. I’ve met with the families of the American hostages. Let’s get the hostages out. Let’s get the ceasefire done.

Bash again pressed Harris about a change in arms policy, drawing a “no” from Harris.

“But no change in policy in terms of arms and so forth?” Bash asked.

“No, we have to get a deal done,” Harris said, going on to add:

When you look at the significance of this to the families, to the people who are living in that region, a deal is not only the right thing to do to end this war, but will unlock so much of what must happen next. I remain committed — since I’ve been on October 8 — to what we must do to work toward a two state solution where Israel is secure and, in equal measure, the Palestinians have security, and self determination, and dignity.

The response comes after more than half a million Democrat primary voters protested the Biden-Harris administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war, demanding a ceasefire and radical policy change with the threat of not turning out to vote in November, particularly in key swing states.

On Friday, the national pro-Palestinian group Abandon Biden announced it would work to ensure Harris loses the election in November.

It stated in a release its “mission is now laser-focused on exposing and opposing Kamala Harris and her complicity in genocide.”

COMMENTS

Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.