AILSA CHANG, HOST:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has wandered more deeply into the 2024 presidential election with appeals to President Biden, Vice President Harris and former President Trump for more support against Hamas. Yesterday, Harris, who's poised to become the Democratic nominee for president, called on Netanyahu to end the suffering in Gaza.
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VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: We cannot look away in the face of these tragedies. We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering. And I will not be silent.
CHANG: And today, Netanyahu traveled to Florida to meet with the Republican nominee Donald Trump. NPR White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez is here to talk about the political implications of that meeting. Hi, Franco.
FRANCO ORDOÑEZ, BYLINE: Hey, Ailsa.
CHANG: OK. So we just heard a pretty forceful statement from Harris. What kind of welcome did Netanyahu get from Trump?
ORDOÑEZ: I mean, he got a very warm reception. I mean, giving Netanyahu kind of a shoulder hug, kissing Netanyahu's wife on the cheek. It was really interesting because they worked very closely together during the Trump administration. But their relationship kind of soured over the more recent years. I mean, Trump was angry that Nahu called to congratulate Biden after the 2020 election. And Trump's also been pretty critical of the prime minister's handling of the conflict in Gaza, ever since the October 7 attack on Israel. But today, Trump was clearly looking to move on and to focus more on the support he's given Israel.
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DONALD TRUMP: We've had a good relationship. I was very good to Israel - better than any president's ever been.
ORDOÑEZ: Trump also noted that during his administration, the U.S. recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moved the embassy there.
CHANG: That's right. Well, did Trump specifically address what Harris had to say about Gaza?
ORDOÑEZ: Yeah, he was asked about her remarks by reporters in the room, and he got kind of personal. I mean, he called Harris a destroyer and a radical leftist from California, all that before addressing what she had had to say about Israel.
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TRUMP: I think her remarks were disrespectful. They weren't very nice, pertaining to Israel. I actually don't know how a person who's Jewish can vote for her.
ORDOÑEZ: I mean, it is worth noting that Harris' husband, Doug Emhoff, is Jewish. And look, it is in Trump's political interest to smooth out this relationship with Netanyahu. Trump has made support for Israel a key part of his campaign, and it was a big part of the Republican National Convention, with a lot of pro-Israel speakers, including the families of U.S. citizens held by Hamas.
CHANG: Let me ask you, Franco. I mean, what is Netanyahu trying to get out of all of this? Like, is he trying to play the two presidential candidates off of each other?
ORDOÑEZ: I mean, he's certainly treading in some treacherous political waters. I mean, he has very much tied himself to the Republican Party. Aaron David Miller, he advised both Democratic and Republican presidents on the Middle East. Here's how he put it.
AARON DAVID MILLER: He needs Donald Trump. And he needs the Republican Party. He's got to hedge his bets. He has no idea who's going to win on November 5.
ORDOÑEZ: And by hedging his bets, he means that Netanyahu needs the Democrats' support as well, from Biden right now, of course, and possibly Harris next year, especially given Israel's ongoing need for U.S. military assistance. And one more thing. This has been a very difficult issue for Democrats on the campaign trail. I mean, a lot of people, especially young and more progressive Democrats, have not been happy with Biden's support for the war effort.
And Harris is kind of leaning into this. She's making it very clear that Israel has a right to defend itself but is also saying that what is happening in Gaza, where thousands of civilians have died, is not acceptable. And that's where you see the clearest contrast between Harris and Trump on a conflict that has really resonated with voters.
CHANG: That is NPR's Franco Ordoñez. Thank you, Franco.
ORDOÑEZ: Thank you so much. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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