White House: Harris opposes arms embargo on Israel
Advisors to the vice president asserted Harris’ support for Israel following meeting with anti-Israel voters but said her campaign will remain in touch with them
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 17: U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris gives remarks on conflict-related sexual violence at an event in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on June 17, 2024 in Washington, DC. Harris attended the event with activists and administration officials to speak before the screening of the documentary film “Screams Before Silence,” which details Hamas’ sexual violence perpetrated during the October 7th attack in Israel. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Vice President Kamala Harris’ national security advisor asserted on Thursday that Harris does not support an arms embargo on Israel, in response to a statement issued by anti-Israel activists who met with Harris the day before and suggested she may be open to the idea.
Harris “has been clear,” Phil Gordon, her top foreign policy advisor, wrote on the social media site X. “She will always ensure Israel is able to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups. She does not support an arms embargo on Israel. She will continue to work to protect civilians in Gaza and to uphold international humanitarian law.”
Before a campaign rally in Michigan on Wednesday, Harris spoke briefly with the national leaders of the Uncommitted movement, which sought to rally Democrats to vote against President Joe Biden over his support for Israel. They approached her in a photo line at the event.
According to a statement issued by the Uncommitted organizers, Harris “shared her sympathies and expressed an openness to a meeting with Uncommitted leaders to discuss an arms embargo.”
Harris’ team threw cold water on that idea on Thursday.
“She met them briefly in a photo line in Detroit. The assertion that she agreed to a meeting about an arms embargo [is] inaccurate,” an aide to Harris told Jewish Insider. “She said her campaign will remain in touch, and reiterated her standard positions on the conflict.”
On Wednesday night, the Harris campaign released a statement about the meeting but did not at first address the arms embargo question.
“Since October 7, the Vice President has prioritized engaging with Arab, Muslim, and Palestinian community members and others regarding the war in Gaza. In this brief engagement, she reaffirmed that her campaign will continue to engage with those communities,” the Harris campaign said in a statement on Wednesday night.
“The Vice President has been clear: she will always work to ensure Israel is able to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups. The Vice President is focused on securing the ceasefire and hostage deal currently on the table.”