Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz sat down for their first interview on Thursday night, with the Vice President reiterating her commitment to Israel's security.
“Let me be very clear: I'm unequivocal and unwavering in my commitment to Israel's defence and its ability to defend itself, and that's not going to change,” Ms Harris said, highlighting the October 7 Hamas-led attacks on communities in southern Israel in which about 1,200 people were killed and 240 abducted.
More than 40,600 people have been killed in Israel's strikes and ground offensive in Gaza, since then.
She added that she would continue the policies of President Joe Biden towards Israel and the war, and that she would not support any restrictions on arms transfers to the country.
“Let's get the hostages out. Let's get the ceasefire done,” she said. “A deal is not only the right thing to do to end this war, but will unlock so much of what must happen next.”
Pro-Palestinian protesters and progressive Democrats have been calling on Ms Harris to end arms transfers to Israel over concerns American-made weapons are being used against civilians in the conflict.
The Vice President also said that “far too many” Palestinians have been killed in the war and that she remains committed to working towards a two-state solution “where Israel is secure and, in equal measure, the Palestinians have security and self-determination and dignity”.
The sentiments echo those made in her speech to the Democratic National Convention last week, when she emphasised the importance of bringing about an end to the fighting in addition to ensuring self-determination for Palestinians.
The interview with CNN covered a wide range of topics, from foreign policy to immigration to the call from Mr Biden saying he was ending his re-election bid.
Ms Harris rose to the top of the Democratic ticket last month when Mr Biden announced his decision to end his re-election bid.
She described Mr Biden as “smart” and “loyal to the American people”, and said his presidency would be looked back on as “transformative”.
Before the interview was announced, Republicans had accused Ms Harris of avoiding the media and sticking to scripted remarks at campaign events.
The Trump campaign has kept a tally of the number of days since she became a presidential candidate that she has failed to give an interview.
Despite the attacks frequently traded by both sides on the campaign trail, Ms Harris avoided going after Mr Trump too much during the interview, and even said she was open to having a Republican in her cabinet.
“`I have spent my career inviting diversity of opinion. I think it's important to have people at the table when some of the most decisions are being made that have different views, different experiences, and I think it would be to the benefit of the American public to have a member of my cabinet who was a Republican,” she said.
Asked about how her stances on various issues have changed over the years, Ms Harris said that “the most important and most significant aspect of my policy perspective and decisions is my values have not changed”, giving as evidence her support for climate change legislation and border security.
This last has become a particularly painful thorn in the side of Democrats, whom Republicans accuse of being soft on illegal immigration. Republicans have called Ms Harris a “failed border tsar”, though her allies say she was given the job of tackling migration at source.
But Ms Harris appears ready to take a firm line on the topic if elected, saying: “I believe there should be consequences. We have laws that have to be followed and enforced. I would enforce our laws as press going forward. I recognise the problem.”
The Two Popes
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce
Four out of five stars
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE results
Lost to Oman by eight runs
Beat Namibia by three wickets
Lost to Oman by 12 runs
Beat Namibia by 43 runs
UAE fixtures
Free admission. All fixtures broadcast live on icc.tv
Tuesday March 15, v PNG at Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Friday March 18, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
Saturday March 19, v PNG at Dubai International Stadium
Monday March 21, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
Notable salonnières of the Middle East through history
Al Khasan (Okaz, Saudi Arabia)
Tamadir bint Amr Al Harith, known simply as Al Khasan, was a poet from Najd famed for elegies, earning great renown for the eulogy of her brothers Mu’awiyah and Sakhr, both killed in tribal wars. Although not a salonnière, this prestigious 7th century poet fostered a culture of literary criticism and could be found standing in the souq of Okaz and reciting her poetry, publicly pronouncing her views and inviting others to join in the debate on scholarship. She later converted to Islam.
Maryana Marrash (Aleppo)
A poet and writer, Marrash helped revive the tradition of the salon and was an active part of the Nadha movement, or Arab Renaissance. Born to an established family in Aleppo in Ottoman Syria in 1848, Marrash was educated at missionary schools in Aleppo and Beirut at a time when many women did not receive an education. After touring Europe, she began to host salons where writers played chess and cards, competed in the art of poetry, and discussed literature and politics. An accomplished singer and canon player, music and dancing were a part of these evenings.
Princess Nazil Fadil (Cairo)
Princess Nazil Fadil gathered religious, literary and political elite together at her Cairo palace, although she stopped short of inviting women. The princess, a niece of Khedive Ismail, believed that Egypt’s situation could only be solved through education and she donated her own property to help fund the first modern Egyptian University in Cairo.
Mayy Ziyadah (Cairo)
Ziyadah was the first to entertain both men and women at her Cairo salon, founded in 1913. The writer, poet, public speaker and critic, her writing explored language, religious identity, language, nationalism and hierarchy. Born in Nazareth, Palestine, to a Lebanese father and Palestinian mother, her salon was open to different social classes and earned comparisons with souq of where Al Khansa herself once recited.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The years Ramadan fell in May
The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
WHAT ARE NFTs?
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are tokens that represent ownership of unique items. They allow the tokenisation of things such as art, collectibles and even real estate.
An NFT can have only one official owner at one time. And since they're minted and secured on the Ethereum blockchain, no one can modify the record of ownership, not even copy-paste it into a new one.
This means NFTs are not interchangeable and cannot be exchanged with other items. In contrast, fungible items, such as fiat currencies, can be exchanged because their value defines them rather than their unique properties.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The view from The National
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Essentials
The flights
Etihad (etihad.ae) and flydubai (flydubai.com) fly direct to Baku three times a week from Dh1,250 return, including taxes.
The stay
A seven-night “Fundamental Detox” programme at the Chenot Palace (chenotpalace.com/en) costs from €3,000 (Dh13,197) per person, including taxes, accommodation, 3 medical consultations, 2 nutritional consultations, a detox diet, a body composition analysis, a bio-energetic check-up, four Chenot bio-energetic treatments, six Chenot energetic massages, six hydro-aromatherapy treatments, six phyto-mud treatments, six hydro-jet treatments and access to the gym, indoor pool, sauna and steam room. Additional tests and treatments cost extra.
My Country: A Syrian Memoir
Kassem Eid, Bloomsbury
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The five pillars of Islam
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Name: Brendalle Belaza
From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines
Arrived in the UAE: 2007
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus
Favourite photography style: Street photography
Favourite book: Harry Potter
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Zayed Sustainability Prize
