CNN
—
When Vice President Kamala Harris appeared before reporters Thursday to make a statement about the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the moment was a carefully staged one.
Harris was the first U.S. official to say anything on camera about this monumental event. President Joe Biden, aboard Air Force One en route to Germany, was drafting a paper statement with his team mourning Sinwar’s death and calling for a resumption of ceasefire negotiations.
Biden’s statement arrived in inboxes at 2:10 p.m. ET. Mr. Harris walked out in front of the cameras five minutes later. The moment was carefully orchestrated between the president and vice president’s inner circle.
The one-two steps were a glimpse into the methodical approach Harris has taken to the conflict, who has come under intense scrutiny for her approach to war but has no intention of departing from Biden’s playbook.
For Harris, it is unlikely that Sinwar’s demise will make the complex politics of the Middle East that much easier. Standing outside a Wisconsin election event where she spoke on Thursday, demonstrators continued to chant pro-Palestinian chants.
And the next day, as she headed to Michigan State for a three-stop swing, thorny politics could continue to haunt her. The Israeli war has proven to be a complicating factor, as the vice president seeks votes from the state’s large Arab and Muslim-American population in the Detroit metropolitan area.
Many in that community have said they cannot vote for Harris, angered by the Biden administration’s almost unequivocal support for Israel and refusal to restrict most weapons from entering the country.
Despite mounting political pressure, Harris has resisted explaining how she would approach the conflict differently. She instead pointed to an initial ceasefire and hostage negotiations that have stalled for weeks.
Earlier this month, Ms. Harris met with Arab American leaders in Michigan, where participants encouraged her to distance herself from Mr. Biden’s approach to conflict.
But on Thursday, Biden and Harris’ approach saw little light. Both sides used Sinwar’s death to renew calls for hostage negotiations to resume.
“This moment gives us the opportunity to finally end the war in Gaza,” Harris said in a three-minute speech, speaking carefully from a script and taking no questions. Finished.
“The war must end so that Israel is secure, the hostages are freed, the suffering in the Gaza Strip ends, and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination,” he said. spoke.
“It’s time for the day after tomorrow to begin,” she said.
Hours later, Biden spoke on the tarmac in Berlin, congratulating Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but also saying that “now is the time to move on” from the war in Gaza.
“I talked to Bibi about that. We’re going to think about what the day after tomorrow is going to be and how we’re going to secure Gaza and move on,” he said.
