Remarks by Vice President Harris Following Meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel

The blog area in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building is known as the Vice President's Ceremonial Office.

Vice President: Hi, everyone. Good afternoon.

A: Hello, how are you today?

The Deputy President: Alright. Earlier, I had an honest and productive discussion with Prime Minister Netanyahu. I assured him that I will always make sure that Israel has the ability to protect itself, even from threats posed by Iran and their supported groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.

Since I was a little girl raising money to plant trees in Israel, through my time in the US Senate, and now in the White House, I have always been dedicated to supporting Israel, ensuring its security, and standing with its people.

I've mentioned this a lot, but it's worth saying again: Israel has the right to protect itself, and the way it goes about doing that is important.

Hamas is a ruthless terrorist group. On October 7, Hamas started this conflict by killing 1,200 innocent individuals, including 44 Americans. Hamas has also carried out terrible acts of sexual assault and held 250 people captive.

Some American people are still imprisoned in Gaza, including Sagui Dekel-Chen, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Edan Alexander, Keith Siegel, and Omer Neutra. The bodies of Judy Weinstein, Gad Haggai, and Itay Chen, who were American citizens, are also still in Gaza.

I have had several meetings with the families of the American hostages. I reassured them that they have my support and that they are not facing this situation alone. President Biden and I are actively working to ensure their safe return.

I shared my deep worry with the prime minister about the widespread suffering of people in Gaza, where many innocent civilians have lost their lives. I also emphasized my grave concern about the urgent humanitarian crisis in the area, with more than 2 million individuals experiencing severe food shortages and half a million people facing extreme levels of hunger.

The situation in Gaza has been incredibly sad for the past nine months. There have been heartbreaking scenes of children and hungry people struggling to find safety, often forced to leave their homes multiple times. It's important that we don't turn a blind eye to these tragedies and that we don't become indifferent to the pain. I refuse to stay silent about what's happening.

Thanks to the guidance of our president, Joe Biden, a agreement has been reached for a ceasefire and a hostage exchange. It is crucial that we remember the specifics of the deal.

The initial part of the agreement aims to establish a complete ceasefire, with the Israeli military pulling out of populated areas in Gaza. The following stage involves a complete withdrawal of the Israeli military from Gaza, ultimately leading to a lasting resolution of the conflict.

It's time for the conflict to stop and for Israel to be safe, all captives to be freed, the suffering in Gaza to cease, and for Palestinians to have their freedom, respect, and ability to determine their own future.

There has been progress in the discussions to reach a deal, which is a good sign. I recently informed Prime Minister Netanyahu that it is important to finalize this agreement.

To all those who have been asking for a stop to fighting and to all those who long for tranquility, I acknowledge you and I am listening.

- We need to finalize the agreement quickly so we can stop the fighting. - Let's make sure the hostages are safely returned. - It's important to offer vital support to the Palestinian population.

In the end, I am dedicated to moving forward towards a solution that can create two separate states. I understand that it may be difficult to imagine this right now, but a two-state solution is the only way to guarantee that Israel can continue to be a safe, Jewish, and democratic nation. It also ensures that Palestinians can achieve the freedom, security, and prosperity that they deserve.

Finally, I want to emphasize that it's crucial for Americans to understand that the conflict in Gaza is not simply black and white. Unfortunately, discussions around this topic often oversimplify the situation, when in reality, it is much more complex.

Therefore, I urge my fellow citizens of the United States to support and promote initiatives that recognize the intricacies, the subtleties, and the past of the area.

We should speak out against terrorism and violent acts. We should take action to stop the harm done to innocent people. We should denounce hatred towards Jews, Muslims, or any other group. Let's come together to bring our nation closer.

I am grateful to you.

Conclusion                 6:26 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time