Vice President Kamala Harris says commitment to Israel, Ukraine will not waver
Vice President Kamala Harris already has made history as the first woman and person of color to occupy her office, but right now, she's facing challenging times with the Middle East on a razor's edge.
Tensions are boiling across the region in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. President Biden has shared a stark, single-word warning for Iran and its proxies, which include Hamas. Harris echoed his message: "Don't."
"One word, pretty straightforward," she said.
Harris on U.S. role in Israel, Gaza
Vice President Harris says the Biden administration is focused on preventing the conflict from escalating in the region. That's a tall order considering that in the last two weeks, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen, both proxies of Iran, have launched missiles, rockets and drones against Israel, and Iranian-backed militias have fired on U.S. troops stationed in Iraq and Syria.
In response, the U.S. launched airstrikes against Iranian weapons facilities in Syria. The Pentagon has also deployed two aircraft carrier strike groups to the region. But Vice President Harris said the U.S. does not plan to send combat troops into Israel or Gaza.
Harris has spoken with President Isaac Herzog of Israel since the Hamas attack. She also said she's joined President Biden on calls with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Harris on the war in Ukraine
Harris and the president are in total agreement that the U.S. must stand with Israel and Ukraine, two democracies under attack. She said the war in the Middle East does not put Ukraine on a back burner.
"We are as committed to Ukraine as we've always been to authorize additional aid, to defend itself against Russia's unprovoked aggression," she said. "That is not going to waver."
In a recent interview with "60 Minutes," President Biden sought to assure the American public that the U.S. can handle aiding both allies in these crises.
"We're the United States of America, for God's sake," he said, stressing that America is the most powerful nation in the history of the world. "We can take care of both of these and still maintain our overall international defense."