LINSEY DAVIS: Turning now to the Israel-Hamas war and the hostages who are still being held, Americans among them. Vice President Harris, in December you said, "Israel has a right to defend itself" but you added, "It matters how." Saying international humanitarian law must be respected, Israel must do more to protect innocent civilians. You said that nine months ago. Now an estimated 40,000 Palestinians are dead. Nearly 100 hostages remain. Just last week Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there's not a deal in the making. President Biden has not been able to break through the stalemate. How would you do it?
Beyond that problem, who, exactly, "estimated" 40,000 Palestinians killed? The answer is - Hamas. Not only did Davis use the figure as if it is factual, but she also implied that most or all of those killedwere civilians.
Kamala harris' answer was rehearsed and consistent with how the Democratic Party, the EU and now the UK look at Israel. And it is more problematic than the question was.
VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Well, let's understand how we got here. On Oct. 7, Hamas, a terrorist organization, slaughtered 1,200 Israelis. Many of them young people who were simply attending a concert. Women were horribly raped. And so absolutely, I said then, I say now, Israel has a right to defend itself. We would.
So far, so good. But not for long.
And how it does so matters. Because it is also true far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed. Children, mothers.
What we know is that this war must end. It must end immediately, and the way it will end is we need a cease-fire deal and we need the hostages out. And so we will continue to work around the clock on that.
Harris didn't say that Hamas must be utterly defeated, or that its leadership must leave Gaza. Any talk about ending the war and leaving Hamas in place is immoral.
Work around the clock also understanding that we must chart a course for a two-state solution. And in that solution, there must be security for the Israeli people in Israel and in equal measure for the Palestinians.
The two state idea is a solution in search of a problem. It wouldn't solve a thing. Palestinians have made it abundantly clear for decades that they consider any territorial gains to be spaces from which they will demand more. Three decades after Oslo, their official logos and schoolbooks still do not recognize Israel.
Talking about a Palestinian state after 10/7 is far worse. It is irresponsible, because the message being given is that terror must be rewarded.
In 2013, the Obama administration presented a framework for peace. Netanyahu accepted it, Abbas rejected it. The US sweetened the deal behind Israel's back, offering a Palestinian capital in Jerusalem - and still Abbas didn't accept it.
What has changed since then? Has the PA shown more flexibility? Has it shown it rejects terror?
Not at all. It still names schools and monuments after terrorists, it still teaches incitement to children, and the vast majority of Palestinians supported the October 7 massacres.
Kamala Harris wants to reward this by adding pressure to Israel to accept a Palestinian state where they can invite Iran or Syria or Turkey to build military bases.
A real leader would say that the two state solution is off the table without significant Palestinian movement towards peace. The Palestinians' embrace of 10/7 must not be rewarded.
But the one thing I will assure you always, I will always give Israel the ability to defend itself, in particular as it relates to Iran and any threat that Iran and its proxies pose to Israel.
The US policy has been to help Israel defend itself, but it is not keen on Israel winning any wars. A nation that is behind fences and always worried about where the nect attack can come from is not a secure country, no matter how good its defense is.
If Harris was serious about supporting Israel, she would say she supports an Israeli victory - not another detente with terror groups that led to October 7 to begin with.
But we must have a two-state solution where we can rebuild Gaza, where the Palestinians have security, self-determination and the dignity they so rightly deserve.
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