From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, November 7, 2023
Harris calls UAE and Bahrain leaders, as White House aims to expand her role on Israel-Hamas war
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
US Vice President Kamala Harris held phone calls earlier this evening with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed and Bahrain Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad to discuss the Israel-Hamas war, as the Biden administration has worked to expand her role on the issue in recent weeks.
The White House readouts from both calls are largely identical and include the same talking points that Washington has been reiterating since the start of the war one month ago.
In both calls Harris stressed the administration’s commitment to increasing humanitarian aid for Gaza, protecting civilian lives as Israel advances in its war against Hamas, rejecting calls from some in Israel to forcibly displace Palestinians and working toward a two-state solution.
In the call with MBZ, Harris discussed “the importance of deterring threats from any state or non-state actor, especially those seeking to expand the conflict, and the Vice President condemned recent attacks by Iranian-backed militias across the region,” the White House says.
