Herzog speaks with Harris, hails US backing for Israel’s ‘right and duty to defend itself – on all its borders’

President Isaac Herzog spoke with US Vice President Kamala Harris earlier today, their offices say.

“I was pleased to speak this evening with US Vice President Kamala Harris who stressed the steadfast commitment of US President Joe Biden along with her own and that of the Administration, to the well-being and security of the State of Israel,” Herzog tweets.

“I thanked her for the US’s continued support for Israel’s right and duty to defend itself — on all its borders. I also thanked her for the US’s ongoing efforts to see all the hostages returned home, which must be an urgent priority for the whole world,” he adds.

The White House readout repeats old talking points, saying that Harris “reiterated our steadfast support for Israel and its right to defend itself in the face of threats from Hamas, and she again condemned Hamas as a barbaric terrorist organization that perpetrated a horrific massacre on October 7 and engaged in brutal sexual violence.”

The pair “discussed efforts to prevent the conflict in Gaza from spreading to the broader region, including in Lebanon and the Red Sea.”

They also “spoke about the shift to lower intensity operations in Gaza, securing the release of all hostages, and the importance of protecting of civilian lives and increasing humanitarian assistance into Gaza,” the White House readout says, adding that they also “discussed ongoing planning for post-conflict Gaza and progress made on that front.”

Harris “reiterated US positions, including that Israel must be secure, there must be no forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, and the Palestinians must have a hopeful political horizon,” the White House says, adding that the vice president “also reiterated that the United States wants to see a more integrated, connected and prosperous Middle East.”