Vice President Kamala Harris today met with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel at the White House. The Vice President reiterated her longstanding and unwavering commitment to the security of the State of Israel and the people of Israel. They discussed the Biden-Harris Administration's work to ensure Israel can defend itself from threats from Iran and Iranian-backed terrorist groups, including Hamas, Lebanese Hezbollah, and the Houthis, and the importance of combatting the rise in Antisemitism globally. The Vice President again condemned Hamas as a brutal terrorist organization as well as individuals associating with Hamas, noting that pro-Hamas graffiti and rhetoric is abhorrent and must not be tolerated.
The Vice President and Prime Minister Netanyahu discussed developments in Gaza and the ongoing negotiations on the ceasefire and hostage release. The Vice President echoed President Biden in expressing the need to close the remaining gaps, finalize the deal as soon as possible, bring the hostages home, and reach a durable end to the war in Gaza.
The Vice President expressed concern regarding civilian casualties and discussed the need to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The Vice President also expressed her concern about actions that undermine stability and security in the West Bank, such as extremist settler violence and settlement expansion.
