As she commemorated the 59th anniversary of Blood Sunday in Selma, Alabama, Vice President Kamala Harris brought up the Israel-Hamas conflict as she expressed her support for an "immediate ceasefire," and insisted "the Israeli government must do more to significantly increase the flow of aid" to Gaza. Harris also called to mind how President Joe Biden on Friday announced aid to Gaza. While Harris expressed support for how "Israel has a right to defend itself," it was her remarks about a ceasefire that drew applause. Yet the vice president isn't the only one making news about a ceasefire, as Israeli war cabinet Minister Benny Gantz also arrived in Washington, D.C. on Sunday for a meeting with Harris and others.
As President Joe Biden said on Friday, the United States is committed to urgently get more lifesaving assistance to innocent Palestinians in need. pic.twitter.com/QvcbcZtGJl
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) March 4, 2024
Monday's edition of the Daily Kickoff from Jewish Insider addressed Gantz's visit, which it turns out is unauthorized. Gantz did not receive the final approval from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who actually refused when Gantz called to coordinate messaging. Gantz still went forward with his own trip:
Gantz’s trip stirred up controversy in Jerusalem, since Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — who missed Sunday’s cabinet meeting due to “a light flu,” according to his spokesman — did not give the necessary authorization. Gantz’s office said that the Prime Minister’s Office approved the trip in writing on Friday, saying the office only needed a final OK from Netanyahu. Gantz called the prime minister later that day to coordinate messaging for the trip, but Netanyahu refused, saying “there is only one prime minister,” according to Kan, and that Gantz should have asked Netanyahu before he set up meetings.
Likud ministers slammed Gantz, with Dudi Amsalem accusing him of being a “Trojan horse” and warning him against “stop[ping] the IDF from winning the war.” Transportation Minister Miri Regev accused Gantz of “subversion,” and said “he’s traveling there to speak for himself; he can’t make any decisions.”
The miscommunication over Gantz’s Washington visit added to existing political tensions after Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s demand for a consensus law to conscript more Haredi 18-year-olds to the IDF threw the coalition into turmoil.
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When it comes to how Transportation Minister Miri Regev pointed out that Gantz is only "traveling there to speak for himself," this could make the already tricky issue of negotiating a ceasefire more difficult.
Netanyahu reminding Gantz that "there is only one prime minister" is also key, given that Gantz is his a chief rival who is serving as part of Netanyahu's cabinet. If Gantz were ever to become prime minister, he could be the one meeting with various members of the White House, and in an authorized capacity.
A headline from Semafor, which included coverage from other outlets, noted that "Gantz’s US visit signals growing divisions in Israel."
One of those cited outlets, Haaretz, went with the angle of how it's Gantz who the Biden White House trusts. "Gantz provides [Democrats] with a self-correcting mechanism," the article claimed.
Coverage from the Times of Israel points to that division in the United States as well:
A former military chief and defense minister, Gantz is Netanyahu’s main political rival in opinion polls. Gantz brought his National Unity party into the government after the October 7 attack by Palestinian terror group Hamas that triggered the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.
...
[Gantz's] visit to the US comes as the Biden administration has grown increasingly frustrated with Netanyahu and his government which is seen as beholden to its far-right members.
Biden said earlier this week that Israel was going to lose international support if it maintains its “incredibly conservative government.”
And, Breitbart offered some telling analysis as to how this speaks to divisions between Biden and Netanyahu:
Biden has been trying to undermine Netanyahu since the Israeli leader was elected in late 2022. He briefly showed solidarity with Netanyahu in September 2023, when there was the possibility of a Saudi-Israeli peace deal, and in the immediate aftermath of the Hamas terror attack of October 7. But he and his administration continued to work to find a replacement for a leader who has resisted Democrat pressure on the conduct of the war and on nuclear deals with Iran.
The image of the Biden White House meeting with Netanyahu’s main opponent in the middle of the war serves to divide the Israeli public, and encourages Hamas to exploit those divisions, both in propaganda and in military planning.
Biden couches his opposition to Netanyahu, and to members of Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition government, as concern for Israel’s well-being, saying that Israel will lose international support if it veers to the political right.
A picture recently shared to Harris' official X account on Monday shows that she and Gantz indeed met. The White House also published a readout of the meeting, which reiterated a lot of what Harris said on Sunday, including when it comes to a call for Hamas to accept a ceasefire deal. Hamas has refused multiple deals, though, and has also broken ceasefires, including the one in place before the October 7 attack and more recently when it comes to the hostage negotiations that took place late last November.
The readout also referred to Gantz's role, and in a way one would never know the trip was unauthorized. "The Vice President discussed the urgency of achieving a hostage deal and welcomed Israel’s constructive approach to the hostage talks," it mentioned at one point. "The Vice President and Minister Gantz discussed the situation in Rafah and the need for a credible and implementable humanitarian plan prior to contemplating any major military operation there given the risks to civilians. She urged Israel to take additional measures in cooperation with the United States and international partners to increase the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza and ensure its safe distribution to those in need," the readout also added.
During the press gaggle beforehand, one reporter mentioned how remarks on Sunday "were pretty sharp against Israel." Harris claimed her and Biden are on the same page, though. "The president and I have been aligned and consistent from the very beginning. Israel has a right to defend itself. Far too many Palestinian civilians--innocent civilians have been killed. We need to get more aid in. We need to get the hostages out. And that remains our position,"she answered in part.
It doesn't appear that any reporters who were allowed to get a question in brought up how the trip is unauthorized, however.
I met with Benny Gantz of Israel today and reiterated our support for Israel’s right to defend itself. We discussed the need to get a hostage deal, increase the flow of aid into Gaza, and protect civilians. pic.twitter.com/IB6C6qZRFo
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) March 4, 2024
This is not the only time in recent weeks that there looks to have been issues between the Biden administration and Netanyahu. Last Monday, Biden himself was asked about a timeline on a ceasefire while he enjoyed an ice cream cone in New York City.
Biden at first said "well I hope by the beginning of the weekend," about when it would start, before he changed his response to "I mean the end of the weekend." He then added that "at least my national security advisor tells me that we're close. My hope is by next Monday, we'll have a ceasefire."
During last Tuesday's White House press briefing, a reporter pointed out to White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby about how Netanyahu was "was quite surprised by the president’s comments about his expectations that there would be a ceasefire by Monday." The reporter thus wanted to know why Biden would say such a thing, but Kirby didn't have a sufficient answer.
"I can’t speak for the surprise that foreign leaders have or don’t have with regard to things that we’re saying," Kirby said, trying to frame his response as how Biden has been "staying completely up to speed" and "shared with you some context" and "his optimism." He also made clear "we don't have [a deal] right now," though he believes "we are getting closer."
Biden is also facing a "revolt" of sorts from far-left fellow Democrats for what support he has shown Israel, including from those who pledge to vote "uncommitted." As Matt has covered, Biden has called out Netanyahu for his handling of the war, because he's concerned about a loss of support ahead of the 2024 election.
It's worth reminding that not only has Biden just recently criticized the "conservative" Israeli government, but did so last December as well for being "the most conservative government in Israel's history," as the cracks in support continue to show.
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