Amid 'free Palestine' chants, Harris tells protesters ceasefire 'now'
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Harris claims that she and the US President are trying to achieve a ceasefire deal, without forgetting to bring up the release of Israeli captives, yet always making no mention of Palestinian detainees.
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Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign rally at Desert Diamond Arena on August 9 in Glendale Arizona. (AFP)
US Vice President Kamala Harris told pro-Palestine demonstrators screaming slogans at a campaign gathering in Arizona that it is about time to "get a cease-fire deal and the hostage deal done."
According to The Hill, Harris replied to pro-Palestine activists screaming "Free Palestine" at the event in Phoenix, saying that she has been clear that "now is the time to get a cease-fire deal and get the hostage deal done."
"Now is the time," she repeated.
Harris claimed that she and US President Joe Biden are trying to achieve a ceasefire deal and the release of the captives, while also expressing respect for pro-Palestine activists' opinions.
While all calls for a ceasefire are always followed by a statement expressing the need for the release of Israeli captives held in Gaza, there is no mention whatsoever of Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons, even those abducted by Israeli forces during the ongoing war.
Meanwhile, Harris has yet to showcase such respect for differing opinions. Her comments in Arizona may be due to the backlash she received for snapping at pro-Palestine demonstrators in Detroit recently.
Kamala Harris is against halting arms transfers to 'Israel': Aide
This comes as a top aide to the Democratic presidential contender and VP Kamala Harris stated on Thursday that she does not favor stopping the transfer of weapons to "Israel" in order to put pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government over the war on Gaza.
Philip Gordon, Harris’ National Security Advisor, posted on X: “She does not support an arms embargo on Israel,” adding, “She will continue to work to protect civilians in Gaza and to uphold international humanitarian law.”
After Joe Biden withdrew from the race for president and Harris emerged as the Democratic contender, activists and progressive Democrats attempted to persuade Harris to adopt a more outspoken position on the war than Biden.
This serves as the second confirmation after Harris' team released a statement announcing that she will not be discussing an arms embargo on "Israel" after two far-left activists from the Uncommitted movement claimed she exhibited openness to do so.
The Times of Israel reported, citing The New York Times, that Harris met with two Arab Americans leading the Uncommitted National Movement, who asked her to consider an arms embargo on "Israel", at a campaign stop in Michigan.
Just before her rally, Harris met with Abbas Alawieh and Layla Elabed, who, according to NYT's report, "wanted to support her but... wanted her to consider an arms embargo." In response, Harris indicated she was "open to it" and introduced the two community leaders to her staff.
Harris' team statement in response read, “Since October 7, the vice president has prioritized engaging with Arab, Muslim, and Palestinian community members and others regarding the war in Gaza... In this brief engagement, she reaffirmed that her campaign will continue to engage with those communities.”
It added, "The vice president has been clear: she will always work to ensure Israel is able to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups. The Vice President is focused on securing the ceasefire and hostage deal currently on the table.”
“As she has said, it is time for this war to end in a way where: Israel is secure, hostages are released, the suffering of Palestinian civilians ends, and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, freedom, and self-determination.”
"Israel" is privately intensifying pressure on the Biden administration and lawmakers on Capitol Hill to expedite weapons approval under the pretext of protecting itself from "Iran and its proxies," a report by Politico revealed two weeks ago after Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu traveled to the US to perform a show for Congress.
In his speech, Netanyahu addressed the issue of delayed arms transfers, which he has previously criticized the Biden administration for.
