Republican Senator Tom Cotton has accused Vice President Kamala Harris of being naive about the Middle East conflict. Cotton serves on the Senate Intelligence, Armed Services, and Judiciary Committees and believes that Harris is wrong to accept the figures and data provided to the world by Hamas. He said the Vice President takes Hamas’ claims “at face value” and does not truly understand the threat of Iran.
The Senator insists that when Hamas claims 30,000 deaths at Israel’s hands, many people fail to distinguish between civilian and military fatalities and do the terror group’s bidding by repeating their figures as facts. Cotton furthermore noted the often-widespread criticism of Israel for striking schools and hospitals, pointing out that Hamas hides – and places civilians – inside these facilities for propaganda purposes. “There are civilian casualties in Gaza, no doubt, but those are solely the responsibility of Hamas, not Israel,” Cotton said.
Nevertheless, he continued, Harris and President Biden have placed pressure on Israel from the outset of the latest conflict that blew up with the horrific attack on Israeli civilians last October 7. Additionally, Mr. Cotton condemned Vice President Harris for not attending a recent speech in Congress by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – a criticism repeated by several Republican Congress members.
The Vice President explained her absence from the speech and said it clashed with a long-standing commitment. However, for some Republicans, the explanation did not hold water. Senator Katie Britt of Alabama, for instance, said “The vice president could be here today if she wanted to.” Some reporters nevertheless pointed to inconsistency from the GOP bench, given that Donald Trump’s running mate JD Vance also did not attend Netanyahu’s speech due to a prior commitment.
Additionally, even though Harris did not show up for the speech, she did meet with Mr. Netanyahu separately and later explained to reporters that it was clear to her that Hamas started the war with Israel and that she is “unwavering” in her commitment to the Jewish state’s defense. She called Hamas a “brutal terrorist organization” and insisted that “Israel has the right to defend itself.”
Treading a fine line and potentially revealing her future approach if she becomes US President in November, Harris nevertheless stated that “how” Israel defends itself must be addressed in its own right. “What has happened in Gaza over the last nine months is devastating,” she said, adding that she would not ignore or “be silent” about civilian casualties.
Nevertheless, Senator Cotton maintains that Harris and Biden, by placing pressure on Israel, are inadvertently doing Iran’s bidding. In his view, he told reporters, holding Israel, rather than Hamas, responsible for civilian fatalities in Gaza emboldens Iran, which is ultimately responsible for attacks on the Jewish state, both from Hamas and fellow Islamist terror group, Hezbollah – which frequently lobs rockets over Israel’s border.
Commentators suggest that Harris is keen to clarify her approach to Israel and that she has largely come down on the side of the Jewish state. For instance, she strongly criticized protests that erupted in Washington, DC, to greet Mr. Netanyahu’s arrival. “I condemn any individuals associating with the brutal terrorist organization Hamas,” she said.
