US Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris stated on Sunday that she has no concerns regarding recent discussions between former President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while reiterating her own stance on the Middle East conflict, Reuters reported.
When asked if talks between Trump and Netanyahu could disrupt the current US administration's efforts, Harris simply replied, “No.”
She emphasized the importance of the US actively working towards ending the ongoing violence, freeing hostages, and fostering a commitment to a two-state solution and long-term peace in Gaza.
“I do believe that it is critically important that we as the United States of America be an active participant in encouraging one, that this war ends, that we get the hostages out but also that there is a real commitment among nations to a two-state solution and the ‘day after’ (in Gaza),” Harris told reporters, according to Reuters.
Her comments come a week after Trump said during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania that he had held a conversation with Netanyahu, and praised Netanyahu for not following President Joe Biden's advice.
"Everything he said to Israel is exactly the opposite – he's the single greatest expert on foreign policy in history: if you did the exact opposite of what he suggested every single time, you'd go down as the greatest foreign policy president in history," Trump said in reference to Biden.
The Republican presidential nominee then criticized Biden's guidance to Netanyahu, saying, "Biden is telling Bibi Netanyahu 'don't do that, don't do this, don't do any of these things.' Bibi didn't listen to him, and they're in a much stronger position now than they were three months ago."
Netanyahu’s office later confirmed that the Prime Minister had spoken with Trump and stressed, "Prime Minister Netanyahu reiterated what he has also said publicly: Israel takes into account the issues the US administration raises, but in the end, will make its decisions based on its national interests.”
Harris has repeatedly stressed her position that Israel needs to end the war and work towards a ceasefire and hostage release deal.
The United States has been pushing an outline for a ceasefire and hostage release deal that Biden first laid out in May, but Hamas has continuously rejected every proposal that has been presented to it.