Vice President Kamala Harris offered Israel’s full defense in a speech to Congress on Thursday night, echoing President Joe Biden’s language that drew criticism from pro-Palestinian protesters.
Harris, who spent a long part of his acceptance speech talking about the war in Gaza, also expressed sympathy for the innocent people who died and called for a ceasefire agreement.
The war became a source of tension in the congress. Pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrated every night in front of the congress hall. Inside the arena, delegates who had been singled out as “disloyal” in protests over Biden’s support for Israel tried to bargain for a speaking spot, but were rebuffed. Several people staged silent protests at various points throughout the week.
“To be clear, I will always defend Israel’s right to defend itself and I will always ensure that Israel has the ability to defend itself because the people of Israel must never again face the horrors of the terrorist organization Hamas. October 7, including unspeakable sexual violence and the massacre of young people at a music festival,” Harris said.
He continued: “At the same time, what has happened in Gaza in the last 10 months is devastating. So many innocent lives have been lost. Desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety, again and again. The scale of the suffering is heartbreaking.”
Harris said he and Biden are working to end the war in Gaza so that “Israel is safe” and the hostages are freed, and “so that the suffering in Gaza ends and the Palestinian people can exercise their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-defense.” determination”.
His comments were notable because he faced pressure from some in the Democratic Party who wanted him to break with Biden on his support for Israel.
On Tuesday, the parents of one of the American hostages still being held by Hamas spoke out about their son, Hersh Goldberg-Paulin. His arm was blown up by Hamas before being loaded into a pickup truck and taken to Gaza.
“That was 320 days ago,” said her mother, Rachel Goldberg-Polin. “We’ve been living on another planet ever since. Anyone who is a parent or has ever been a parent can try to imagine the anguish and misery that John and I and all the hostage families went through.”
At the beginning of the week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Israel accepted the proposal of the United States regarding the possible suspension of the negotiations.–fire forward. However, he warned that this is “probably the best, perhaps the last, opportunity to bring the hostages home, to achieve a ceasefire and put everyone on a better path to peace and security.”
Biden also addressed the conflict in a speech to Congress on Monday night, saying his administration was trying to “prevent a wider war.”
“We are working around the clock – my secretary of state – to prevent a wider war and to reunite the hostages with their families and to end the civilian suffering of the Palestinian people, to increase humanitarian health and food aid to Gaza now and finally, finally, finally, finally get a ceasefire and end this war put an end to it.”
He added: “The protesters who took to the streets have a point. A lot of innocent people are being killed on both sides.”