GENERATION GAP — The leaders of Israel’s government are unhappy with Vice President Kamala Harris. After Harris skipped Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress last week, met with him afterwards, and then commented publicly on the humanitarian toll of the war, they expressed that displeasure. A top Israeli official, briefing reporters anonymously, said that their government has been uncomfortable with her tone and argued that she’s made a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas more difficult. The tonal shift on the issue of Israel from President Joe Biden to a potential Harris presidency is no accident. Since the war on Gaza began, she’s pushed the Biden administration to be more overtly sympathetic to show public concern for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. And Israeli officials publicly hammering Harris — even if they choose to do so anonymously — shows that there’s already concern on their side that she won’t be as willing a partner as Biden. Seizing on that criticism, Republicans have focused many of their early attacks on Harris’ campaign on what they argue is her soft support for a major U.S. ally; a cover of The New York Post last week read “ISRAEL LEFT BEHIND,” referring to Harris’ absence from Netanyahu’s speech to Congress. Harris’ position on the issue may be a departure from Biden, but it’s far from a left-wing lark. She is voicing what is now essentially the mainstream Democratic position on the issue — increasing public frustration with Netanyahu and a right-wing Israeli government, sympathy for humanitarian conditions in Gaza, pushing for a ceasefire while remaining staunchly committed to providing military aid to Israel. On the occasion of Netanyahu’s speech to Congress last week — in which he attacked the U.S. for not providing enough aid or weapons on a timely enough basis — House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi called it “by far the worst presentation of any foreign dignitary invited and honored with the privilege of addressing the Congress of the United States.” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer refused to shake Netanyahu’s hand in the chamber, pointing later to “serious disagreements” with the prime minister. Earlier this year, Schumer said that Israel had “lost its way” and called for new elections. And Harris was far from the only Democrat not to stick around to hear Netanyahu; around half of congressional Democrats skipped the speech altogether. It is Biden who has been the party outlier in his nearly unwavering support. The president has a longstanding relationship with Israel and its leaders, and regularly cites his 1973 meeting with Golda Meir — a moment from a half-century ago — as one of the most profoundly affecting moments of his life. He hasn’t always been reflexively supportive of Israel — he has clashed with Israeli leaders over settlements in the West Bank. But throughout his political career, Biden has stood out as someone who is distinctly more sympathetic toward Israel than the median Democrat. During the Obama administration, Biden was dispatched regularly to deal with Netanyahu after Obama’s own relationship with the prime minister quickly deteriorated. So, a change in tenor between a potential Harris administration and Biden’s current stance says more about Biden’s unique relationship with Israel than about Harris. In any case, at the moment the differences aren’t dramatic. The party and Harris remain committed to supporting Israel — and have so far advanced a party platform that bucks left-wing critics. Palestinian rights advocates, many of whom believe Harris is a step in the right direction, are still hoping for more from Harris — something that U.S. officials and analysts are not convinced they’ll get. Nevertheless, the current discord between the right-wing Israeli government and Harris might be a sign of what’s to come. The 81-year-old Biden’s veneration of the state — which comes from his memories of conflicts in 1967 and 1973 and his long-held personal relationships with heads of state there — is largely outmoded in modern Democratic politics. In her willingness to antagonize Israel’s government, Harris is simply a reversion to the mean. Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. Reach out with news, tips and ideas at nightly@politico.com. Or contact tonight’s author at cmchugh@politico.com or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @calder_mchugh.
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