Vice President Kamala Harris did not agree to discuss an arms embargo on Israel during talks with pro-Palestinian activists who are pressing for a change in US policy toward its ally over the Gaza war, an aide said on Thursday.
The Uncommitted National Movement said late Wednesday that Harris, a 2024 Democratic presidential candidate, had “shared her sympathies and expressed an openness to meeting with Uncommitted leaders to discuss the gun ban” during a conversation while campaigning in Detroit, an aide said.
The aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Harris did not express a desire to discuss the arms embargo. But a campaign spokesman said the vice president told Muslim and Palestinian community members that she would continue to engage with them on the war in Gaza between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas, which local officials say has killed nearly 40,000 people.
“The Vice President has been clear: she will always work to ensure that Israel is able to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups. The Vice President’s focus remains on securing the ceasefire and hostage agreement that is currently underway,” the campaign spokesperson said.
Two of the group’s founders, Laila Elabed and Abbas Alavieh, said they had brief conversations with Harris and Vice President-elect Tim Walz of Minnesota and expressed their concerns about the United States supplying weapons to Israel as it wages war in Gaza.
Alavieh said Thursday that he and Elabed had specifically sought a meeting to discuss the demand for an arms embargo on Israel, “and in both cases, Vice President Harris expressed openness to follow-up.”
He said he was very encouraged by his conversations with Harris’ office and “we hope that the discussions going forward will be fruitful.”
Humanitarian crisis
According to Israeli figures, Israel’s attack on the besieged Palestinian territory was in retaliation for an attack by Hamas militants on southern Israel on October 7, which killed 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages.
The uncommitted political group was formed to oppose President Joe Biden’s staunch support for Israel’s war, which has displaced about 80 percent of Gaza’s 2.3 million people and led to severe food shortages.
The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza has prompted calls from Washington to impose conditions on billions of dollars in military funding and other aid to Israel, which has received more US foreign aid than any other country since World War II.
In May the United States blocked a shipment of 2,000-pound and 500-pound bombs because of concerns about the impact they would have on Gaza.
The Uncommitted Movement has garnered significant votes in presidential nominating races in Michigan, Minnesota and Hawaii, winning at least 25 delegates. Leaders have said they want to use their influence at this month’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
In a reminder of how divisive the issue has been for Democrats, a group of pro-Palestinian protesters briefly interrupted Harris’ speech in Detroit on Wednesday, chanting, “Kamala, Kamala, you can’t hide, we will not vote for genocide.”
She paused for a moment to say she believed in democracy and the importance of every voice, and then added, “But I’m speaking out now.” When the chants continued, she repeated, “You know what? If you want Donald Trump to win, say so. Otherwise, I’m speaking out.”
Trump criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for Israeli security failures that allowed Hamas to launch the October 7 attack, and said he would work to end the war quickly.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
