Kamala Harris Sends a Message to the World

The VP Faced a Challenging Meeting With Bibi Netanyahu...and Handled it Perfectly

On Thursday, following her meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Vice President Kamala Harris sent a message not only to Netanyahu but to the world.

The meeting with Netanyahu presented many challenges for the presumptive Democratic nominee for the presidency. First, there was the complex reality of the Biden Administration’s strained relationship with Netanyahu. Next, there was Netanyahu’s history of trying to upstage his American hosts and of meddling in U.S. domestic politics. In addition, Harris faced the difficult task of both communicating that she was her own woman with her own views on the Israel-Gaza situation while at the same time respecting that until January U.S. foreign policy will continue to be set by President Joe Biden.

Harris managed to do all those things. Indeed, her statement following the Netanyahu meeting was pitch perfect illustrating strong support for the state and the people of Israel while communicating concerns with the policies and actions of the current Israeli government, showing compassion for and a commitment to the humanitarian needs of the residents of Gaza.

It was a bit of a high wire act and yet she also had to come across as resolute. After all, Netanyahu was the man whose arrogance about his role and that of Israel relative to the United States once led President Bill Clinton to explode, “Who the fuck does he think he is? Who’s the fucking superpower around here?”

Following Harris’ performance, her first high-profile international assignment since assuming the role of Democratic Party standard-bearer, there was no mistaking he was in charge or her deftness at managing a difficult situation.

In her statement following the meeting, Harris said, "Israel has a right to defend itself, and how it does so matters."

"The images of dead children and desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety, sometimes displaced for the second, third or fourth time — we cannot look away in the face of these tragedies. We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering, and I will not be silent."

"So to everyone who has been calling for a ceasefire, and to everyone who yearns for peace, I see you and I hear you. Let's get the deal done so we can get a cease fire to end the war. Let's bring the hostages home, and let's provide much needed relief to the Palestinian people, and ultimately, I remain committed to a path forward that can lead to a two-state solution."

With these words she crisply and adroitly checked every box that needed to be checked. It reflected the Biden’s Administration’s position and was consistent with the statements of President Biden but it also reflected differences of emphasis and tone that were intended to be noted by Netanyahu and by the people of Israel and Palestine. Commentators almost immediately zeroed in on her balanced emphasis on the welfare of the hostages and of the Palestinian people, views that dovetailed very closely with those of a significant portion of the Israeli population even if they may have been hard for Netanyahu to swallow.

Indeed, we know that Netanyahu was frustrated that he was unable to bully either the Vice President or the President or to bend the White House photo ops as he had hoped for political purposes back home. He was also apparently upset that Harris had the temerity to criticize Israel for its behavior in Gaza, an issue he assiduously tried to avoid during his speech to the U.S. Congress.

The clearest signal of the impact of Harris’ comments in particular was that Netanyahu, who is heading to Mar a Lago to meet Donald Trump on Friday, chose to make her the target of the meddling in U.S. politics that are signatures of his recent visits to the U.S.

A statement provided by an Israeli official (Netanyahu) following the meeting said, “"When there is such daylight (between Israeli and U.S. views) it pushes the (ceasefire) deal further away and brings a regional escalation closer. We hope that Harris' public criticism of Israel won't give Hamas the impression that there is daylight between the U.S. and Israel and as a result make it harder to get a deal." This was classic Netanyahu, wrist-on-the-forehead melodrama designed to tee up GOP criticism of the soon-to-be Democratic nominee for president.

The Israeli Prime Minister also expressed surprise that she shared her views in public although Harris’ team emphasized that her message in private and in public were identical.

Trump has feebly tried to create similar doubts about Harris by saying she is “totally against the Jewish people” which would no doubt come as a shock to her Jewish husband or to anyone who knows her or has followed her consistent support for Israel and her direct and frequent critiques of anti-Semitic behavior. (Her husband is also spearheading administration efforts to combat anti-Semitism and other forms of hate. But what are facts to a guy like Trump when he has a floundering election campaign to deal with. And no matter that he has regularly defended anti-Semites, welcomed literal Nazis to his dinner table and kept a book of Hitler’s speeches by his bedside.)

It should be noted that Harris also released a pitch perfect statement concerning demonstrations which took place during Netanyahu’s address to Congress which said in part, “I condemn any individuals associating with the brutal terrorist organization Hamas, which has vowed to annihilate the State of Israel and kill Jews. Pro-Hamas graffiti and rhetoric is abhorrent and we must not tolerate it in our nation."

For those who have not followed Harris’ foreign policy performance closely, yesterday was a chance to see the benefits of picking a seasoned pro as the Democratic Party presidential nominee. Prior to serving as Vice President, Harris served with distinction on the Senate Intelligence Committee. As VP she has played an active international role that has included a central involvement in handling the Israel-Gaza crisis (in which she helped champion a formula for post-War stabilization and rebuilding that is now broadly accepted as the template all nations are working with), in representing the U.S. at key international fora on the Ukraine crisis, in helping to counterbalance the efforts of China from Africa to Southeast Asia and in working to address immigration flows at their source in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Central America. She has met over 150 foreign leaders and developed very strong relations with many of them, notably among America’s most important allies.

For those like myself who have been closely tracking Harris’ foreign policy record for the past three and a half years, yesterday came as no surprise. Both she and President Biden have prioritized ensuring she was ready to assume the role of commander-in-chief. Scores of conversations I have had with senior officials in the international diplomatic and security communities, confirm that he has achieved that high bar. Yesterday’s meeting was an important first step in ensuring that the American voting public understands this vitally important point, as well.