After the United Kingdom paused some arms shipments to Israel on Monday, it’s not entirely clear whether Vice President Kamala Harris could follow the same path.
The Democratic presidential candidate is under intense pressure from progressives to get tough on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the war with Hamas drags on for nearly a year.
Harris insists she’s committed to Israel’s defense. But as a peace deal continues to evade the war in Gaza, Harris has declined to answer questions on whether the U.S. could use its soft power in halting weapons shipments to a top ally in the Middle East to affect policy change under her leadership.
Last week, Harris was pressed on whether she would do anything differently from President Joe Biden with Israel and the war in Gaza. She answered in the negative, but quickly pivoted to the need for a peace deal.
The Harris campaign did not respond to a request from Fox News Digital on whether halting weapons shipments would be on or off the table if Harris takes the White House.
‘President Biden has tried unsuccessfully to end the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. He’s been doing it for months and months, along with you. Would you do anything differently? For example, would you withhold some U.S. weapons shipments to Israel?’ CNN’s Dana Bash asked the vice president on Thursday.
‘Let me be very clear. I’m unequivocal and — and unwavering in my commitment to Israel’s defense and its ability to defend itself,’ she said, before detailing the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks and noting ‘too many Palestinian civilians have been killed.’
Some 42,000 Palestinians have died in the conflict since October, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
‘We have to get a deal done. This war must end,’ she went on. ‘Let’s get the hostages out. Let’s get the ceasefire done.’
‘But no change in policy in terms of arms and — and so forth?’ Bash pressed again.
‘No. We have to get a deal done. Dana, we have to get a deal done. When you look at the significance of this to the families, to the people who are living in that region — a deal is not only the right thing to do to end this war but will unlock so much of what must happen next.’
‘I remain committed, since I’ve been on Oct. 8, to what we must do to work toward a two-state solution where Israel is secure and in equal measure the Palestinians have security and self-determination — and dignity.’
Israel said last week the U.S. had shipped more than 50,000 tons of arms and military equipment since war broke out in October. Congress passed a bill that included $26 billion in arms assistance for Israel and aid for Gaza in April.
The United Kingdom on Monday paused dozens of weapons exports to Israel over concerns those arms could be used to violate international law.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy told lawmakers on Monday that the decision related to about 30 of 350 export licenses for equipment that includes parts for military aircraft and drones and items used for ground targeting.
Lammy said the British government believes the equipment ‘is for use in the current conflict in Gaza’ and represents a ‘clear risk’ that some could be used to ‘commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law.’
Back home, Netanyahu is under attack from all sides after it was revealed that six Israeli hostages were found dead in a Hamas tunnel. Protesters took to the streets to demand a hostage deal over the weekend. Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a 23-year-old Israeli-American whose parents made an emotional plea for a hostage deal at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) last month, was among the dead.
President Joe Biden replied ‘no’ over the weekend when asked if Netanyahu is doing enough to secure the hostages.
Over the weekend, Biden and Harris worked on a hostage deal with their negotiating team as the news of the additional deaths broke.
The president said ‘we’re very close’ to securing a hostage deal that all sides could agree to, though such a deal has evaded negotiators for months. ‘Hope springs eternal,’ he said.