CNN
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Vice President Kamala Harris will mark the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel on Monday at her Naval Observatory residence, where she and Vice President Doug Emhoff will plant a commemorative tree, White House officials said.
The Second Family has traditionally planted trees on the grounds of the Vice President’s official residence. Monday’s planting of a pomegranate tree, which symbolizes hope and justice, especially in Judaism, is the first for Harris and Emhoff during their stay at the mansion, officials said.
Escalating violence in the Middle East has become one of the most troubling issues for Harris, who took over the Democratic ticket this year. Arab American advocates and leaders have called on the vice president to distance himself from President Joe Biden’s Israel policy, including during a meeting in Michigan on Friday.
Harris maintains that Israel has the right to defend itself, but also acknowledges the growing sentiment surrounding the region’s humanitarian crisis.
She has previously spotlighted the violence that occurred on October 7th. In June, it hosted a White House event focused on the Israel-Hamas war as part of an effort to focus on conflict-related sexual violence.
Harris and Emhoff, who is Jewish, are also scheduled to speak to reporters on Monday. The vice president will reflect on Oct. 7 and reaffirm his commitment to the security of Israel and the Jewish people, the official said.
Mr. Emhoff also plans to attend the American Jewish Committee’s October 7 commemoration in Washington, D.C., and recite a prayer.
On October 7, 2023, more than 1,500 Hamas fighters attacked Israel, leaving at least 1,200 people dead and others still held hostage by Hamas. According to the Gaza Strip’s Ministry of Health, the ensuing Israeli war on Gaza left more than 40,000 Palestinians dead and created a dire humanitarian crisis.
Harris has spoken forcefully about the unfolding situation in Gaza, particularly in March, when she said in Selma, Alabama, that people in the region were “starving” in the face of “inhumane” conditions. said.
In an interview on CBS’ “60 Minutes” on Monday, Harris said the United States has influenced Israel’s decision-making even as the Middle East moves toward escalation of the conflict, but that the United States has “unfairly” He did not say whether he believed it. “We are close allies,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
“The work we are doing diplomatically with Israeli leaders makes clear our principles, including the need for humanitarian aid, the need to end this war, and the need to reach an agreement that will be liberated. Netanyahu said the U.S. “will not stop in terms of putting pressure on the region, including on Israel and Arab leaders.” When asked if she had any influence over the prime minister, she said.
Asked about the Israeli leadership not always seeming to listen to the United States, Harris declined to elaborate, but said the administration has influence.
“As a result of the work we have done, many Israeli movements have emerged in the region. These movements were inspired by many things, including our advocacy for what should happen in the region. , or were very active as a result,” she said.
At Harris’ Friday meeting in Michigan, Arab American advocates called on the vice president to end the war in Gaza amid growing dissatisfaction with her response to Israel’s recent escalation in Lebanon. I asked them to make even more efforts towards this goal.
The conversation was scheduled to last 10 minutes but ended up lasting 20 minutes, said Wael Al-Zayat, CEO of Emgage Action, a group that aims to encourage Muslim-Americans to vote. It is said that Harris did not make any promises, but told her that “she too wants to end the war and will do everything in her power to do so.”
Harris has at times been disrupted at her campaign rallies by pro-Palestinian demonstrators. At the time, the vice president emphasized that his administration is working towards a ceasefire agreement.
