In a stunning interview with ABC News, Vice President Kamala Harris refused to rule out “consequences” for Israel if they move forward with an invasion of Rafah in Gaza. This comes after days of intense back-and-forth between the United States and Israel over the potential military operation.
Harris warned that such a move by the Israeli government would be a “huge mistake.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has justified the potential invasion as a necessary step in fully rooting out Hamas, a known terrorist group.
“We have been clear in multiple conversations and in every way that any major military operation in Rafah would be a huge mistake,” Harris said when asked about potential consequences. “Let me tell you something: I have studied the maps. There’s nowhere for those folks to go.”
But it seems Harris is not the only one who sees this as a misstep. Even President Biden himself has expressed concern over an invasion, issuing a warning to Netanyahu just days ago. And now, Harris is adding fuel to the fire by refusing to rule out consequences for Israel.
When ABC’s Rachel Scott asked Harris if a potential invasion of Rafah would be a red line for the Biden administration, Harris responded, “We’re going to take it one step at a time, but we’ve been very clear in terms of our perspective on whether or not [an invasion] should happen.”
But when pressed further about potential consequences, Harris backtracked and said, “I am ruling out nothing.” So it seems the vice president is playing both sides here, trying to avoid taking a definitive stance while leaving the possibility of consequences open.
This is not the first time the Biden administration has asserted its influence on foreign affairs. In April, Biden announced plans to restore humanitarian, economic, and security aid to the Palestinians, reversing a trend of withholding funds that began under the Trump administration.
But clearly, Netanyahu is not afraid to stand up to the Biden administration and make his own decisions. He reportedly told Secretary of State Antony Blinken that Israel is prepared to move forward with or without U.S. support. Netanyahu even went as far as to say that if necessary, Israel would do it alone.
“I also said that we have no way to defeat Hamas without entering Rafah,” Netanyahu said. “I told him that I hoped we would do this with U.S. support, but, if necessary, we will do it alone.”
It seems the Biden administration’s efforts to exert control over the situation in Gaza have been futile thus far. Netanyahu has made it clear that he believes an invasion of Rafah is necessary to defeat Hamas, and he is not willing to back down.
What will come of the high-level meeting between Israel and White House officials this week remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: Israel will not be easily deterred from their plans, and Vice President Harris’s indecisive stance is not going to change that.
In an @ABC News Exclusive, Vice President Kamala Harris tells ABC’ @rachelvscott an Israeli attack on Rafah would be a huge mistake, and she’s not ruling out “consequences” if Israel presses forward. https://t.co/VM6VCY4x3i pic.twitter.com/Car3AKsMiv
— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) March 25, 2024
