With Vice President Kamala Harris poised to run for President, it's interesting to note that she has increasingly taken a tougher stance on Israel than President Joe Biden, who is known for his strong Zionist support.
Harris has been notably more sympathetic towards the Palestinians in Gaza. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby commented in December, 'She’ll certainly be making it clear, as we’ve said many times before, that we believe that Palestinian people need a vote and a voice in their future, and that they need governance in Gaza that will look after their aspirations and their needs.
This week, Kamala Harris is expected to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington. She recently hosted a White House event focused on sexual violence related to the conflict, particularly Hamas' abuse of hostages and the October 7 attacks.
Despite this, Harris is the only high-ranking member of the Biden administration's foreign policy team not to have visited Israel after October 7, unlike President Biden, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Secretary of State Tony Blinken, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
Harris's first visit to Israel occurred in 2004 as San Francisco's district attorney, organized by the Bay Area Jewish Community Relations Council.
Earlier this year, she suggested that there could be consequences for Israel if it proceeded with an invasion of Rafah, a position later reinforced by Biden, who stated on CNN that he would halt large-payload weapons transfers if Israel invaded Rafah.
* The Jewish Insider contributed to this article