The White House on Friday responded to reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is upset with Vice President Kamala Harris over her comments on the war that he says could jeopardize a hostage and ceasefire deal, with one aide telling Fox News: “I don’t know what they’re talking about.”
The alleged diplomatic conflict comes after Netanyahu met with President Biden and Harris in Washington on Thursday, ahead of his meeting today with former President Trump at Mar-a-Lago. An Israeli official told Axios that Netanyahu was unhappy with Harris mentioning civilian deaths in Gaza and the “dire humanitarian situation there.”
The official added that he believed Netanyahu was upset with Harris talking about a hostage and ceasefire deal as a way to end the war immediately, when Israel wants to be able to resume fighting after one is implemented.
“When our enemies see that the United States and Israel are aligned, the chances of a hostage deal increase and the chances of a regional escalation decrease,” the Israeli official told Axios. “When there is so much daylight, it pushes a deal even further away and a regional escalation closer. We hope that Harris' public criticism of Israel will not give Hamas the impression that there is daylight between the United States and Israel and, as a result, make it harder to reach a deal.”
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Vice President Kamala Harris, right, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appear before a meeting in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington, Thursday, July 25. (AP/Julia Nikhinson)
An Israeli official also told Axios that “Harris' statement after the meeting was far more critical than what she said to Netanyahu in the meeting.”
But a Harris aide told Fox News this morning: “I don't know what they're talking about.”
“President Biden and Vice President Harris conveyed the same message in their private meetings with Prime Minister Netanyahu: It is time to achieve the ceasefire and the hostage agreement. And this is what the vice president also said publicly,” the aide said.
Activists cheer as they burn flags and a puppet of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a protest near the U.S. Capitol on July 24 in Washington, DC. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
“The public comments were consistent with his previous comments on the conflict. He began by stressing his unconditional support for Israel and then expressed concern about civilian casualties and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, as he always does,” the aide added. “The meeting between Prime Minister Netanyahu and Vice President Harris was serious and cordial.”
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In her remarks Thursday, Harris said she told Netanyahu she would “always ensure that Israel can defend itself, including from Iran and Iranian-backed militias like Hamas and Hezbollah.”
“I also expressed to the Prime Minister my deep concern about the scale of human suffering in Gaza, including the deaths of too many innocent civilians, and made clear my deep concern about the dire humanitarian situation there,” he continued.
“It's time for this war to end, and to end it in a way where Israel is safe, all hostages are freed, the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can exercise their right to freedom, dignity and self-determination,” Harris said, adding that “thanks to the leadership of our President, Joe Biden, there is an agreement on the table for a ceasefire and an agreement on the hostages” and “as I just told Prime Minister Netanyahu, it's time to get this deal done.”
Former Trump national security aide John Ullyot told “Fox & Friends First” on Friday that Harris' comments showed she had “taken the baton from Biden.”
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks after her meeting with Netanyahu on Thursday. (AP/Julia Nikhinson)
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“It's clear that what happened with Kamala Harris is that, first of all, she now has her hand firmly on the helm. There's no question: she was the only one who did a great job.” [on-camera] “Bibi met with Biden and he also met with Harris, but Harris is the only one who goes out on the street, she has the flags behind her. She is definitely pushing her agenda now and has taken over from Biden. But look, the policies are the same.”
Fox News' Sarah Tobianski contributed to this report.
