US officials: Harris's Gaza remarks toned down before release
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The officials revealed that the speech originally had a sharper attitude towards the Israeli occupation.
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Vice President Kamala Harris speaks as she meets with voting rights leaders, in the Indian Treaty Room, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington (AP)
Three current US officials and a former one familiar with Kamala Harris's speech informed NBC news that before the Vice President gave her remarks on Sunday calling for an immediate six-week ceasefire in Gaza as part of a deal to release captives, National Security Council officials filtered some parts of her speech.
One of the current officials and a former one stated that Harris's original draft shared with the National Security Council for revision, had a sharper attitude towards the Israeli occupation specifically regarding the horrific humanitarian situation in Gaza and the urgency for more aid.
The National Security Council and West Wing staff members usually, as part of the protocol for most high-level White House principals giving speeches about foreign policy, overlook these speeches. This was the case for Harris's speech as stated by several officials, two of whom are from her office. They highlighted that the entirety of the speech was edited and then explained that the latter is frequently the case with live foreign policy issues.
The original draft slammed "Israel" more directly regarding the urgency of immediately permitting passage for the aid trucks into Gaza, two officials revealed, one of whom labeled her words as "strong but not controversial."
The latter only shows how hesitant the White House remains in taking a clear and strong stance against "Israel" in public as Biden has been attempting to protect his influence over the Israeli occupation's government and safeguard the captives deal.
The current officials further revealed that all amendments to Harris's speech focused on the tone and not the policy as her call for a ceasefire aligns with and reemphasizes Biden's comments from two days before and his administration's stance on the war.
Not everyone agrees
“That is inaccurate,” said Harris's communicator director, Kristen Allen, when confronted about the above-mentioned statements by the officials before proceeding to share with NBC News a different statement elaborating Harris's position on her declared remarks.
“The Vice President felt it was important to address the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, given recent developments, and to reiterate our Administration’s call on Hamas to accept the terms of the hostage deal,” she stated.
Another administration official refuted these statements as well adding that the key language and core message remained unchanged.
On the other hand, the National Security Council did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
The infamous speech
After more than a hundred people in Gaza were murdered by "Israel" throughout the week as they sought to collect humanitarian, US Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday called on the Israeli regime to "do more" to increase the flow of aid, emphasizing that there are "no excuses" for delays.
At an event in front of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, Harris said that "too many innocent Palestinians have been killed" and that Gazans are enduring a "humanitarian catastrophe."
She pointed out that those seeking aid in Gaza have been faced with gunfire and chaos failing to mention the Israeli killers.
She further urged the Israeli regime to take immediate action to restore basic services and order in Gaza and stressed the urgent need for an "immediate ceasefire."
Vice President Kamala Harris calls for “an immediate ceasefire” in Gaza for “at least the next six weeks.”
— Pop Base (@PopBase) March 3, 2024
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