Kamala Harris Works to Bridge Democratic Divide Over Israel-Gaza War
WASHINGTON—During more than a dozen phone calls to discuss the war in Gaza between President Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a U.S. official, who has become increasingly involved in the administration’s handling of the conflict, was listening in: Vice President Kamala Harris.
In her private talks with top administration officials, Harris has emerged as one of the top policy makers bridging the divide within the Democratic Party between a hard core of Israel supporters and groups that are sharply critical of the Biden administration’s approach to the war in Gaza, according to people familiar with the discussions. Among her efforts, Harris has pushed for the White House to articulate more empathy for Palestinians and to focus on a postconflict Gaza plan, the people familiar with the discussions said.
That approach has come through in her public comments, most prominently during her whirlwind visit to the climate summit in Dubai, where she said, “Israel must do more to protect innocent civilians." Waleed Shahid, a progressive Democratic strategist, said he saw Harris’s comments as a “trial balloon" for the administration to adopt a more critical tone against Israel, but they didn’t go far enough for Democrats who want to see the administration do more. “Many Democrats feel that actions speak louder than words right now," he said.
In the past two months, Harris has talked to several Palestinian-Americans who have been affected by the war, including those who have lost loved ones or recently left Gaza, a senior administration official said. She has talked to Jewish and Arab community leaders and the families of two American hostages who have been released, and she has met with the families of Americans who are
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