Officials at the National Security Council watered down parts of Vice President Kamala Harris' viral, pointed Sunday speech calling for an immediate six-week ceasefire between Israel and Hamas before she delivered the remarks, three current United States officials and a former U.S. official familiar with the speech told NBC News.
Harris' original draft mounted a harsher critique of Israel regarding the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip and the need for more aid than the speech she ultimately gave, one of the current officials and the former official said. It specifically confronted Israel about the need to permit additional aid trucks into the territory, two of the U.S. officials said, with one describing her initial language as strong but uncontroversial. The changes to the original draft were tonal, rather than speaking to shifts in policy, and Harris' ceasefire comments were reiterating Biden's remarks two days prior and the administration's stance on the war, the current officials added.
"The move to soften Harris’ comments highlights how reluctant the White House still is to aggressively criticize Israel in public as President Joe Biden tries to maintain some influence over the Israeli government and secure a hostage deal," NBC News reported.
Kirsten Allen, Harris' communications director, said that reports of the Sunday speech being edited to be less aggressive were "inaccurate." In a separate statement to NBC News, Allen further delineated Harris' position on her comments.
“The Vice President felt it was important to address the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, given recent developments, and to reiterate our Administration’s call on Hamas to accept the terms of the hostage deal,” she said.
