Kamala Harris Refuses To Acknowledge Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu As 'Close Ally'

US Vice President Kamala Harris has declined to state whether she considers Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a "close ally," after he disregarded her administration's calls for a ceasefire in Lebanon.

In an interview with '60 Minutes' set to air on CBS News on Sunday night, Harris was asked how the US can provide Israel with billions of dollars in military aid while seemingly having "no sway" over Netanyahu.

After offering a somewhat indirect response in which she claimed the US had nudged Netanyahu towards ending his ongoing war in Gaza and Lebanon, Harris was pressed again with the question: "Do we have a real close ally in Prime Minister Netanyahu?"

She responded, "I think, with all due respect, the better question is, do we have an important alliance between the American people and the Israeli people? And the answer to that question is yes."

Since she replaced President Joe Biden as the Democratic presidential candidate in July, Harris' stance on Israel has been criticised by both pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian factions within her party.

In an attempt to address both sides, Harris declared her support for an independent Palestinian state at the Democratic National Convention in August, while also pledging to continue supplying Israel with arms and ammunition.

Netanyahu, who is widely seen as favouring Donald Trump in the upcoming US presidential election, has met with both Biden and Harris several times since declaring war on Hamas last October. While Biden and Harris have claimed following these discussions that Netanyahu is moving towards a ceasefire, the Israeli leader has returned to Israel and committed to continuing the war.

Recently, Netanyahu reportedly agreed to a ceasefire proposal drawn up by the US and France, only to withdraw at the last moment, ordering the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut, according to American and other Western officials last month.

Two days later, he defied further American calls for de-escalation by sending ground troops into Lebanon. On Tuesday, Netanyahu vowed to make Iran "pay for" a missile attack on Israel, despite US officials urging him to avoid actions that could ignite a broader regional conflict.

President Biden, asked whether Netanyahu was trying to influence the US election, said on Friday, "Whether he's trying to influence the election, I don't know."

He also reminded the Israeli leader, "No administration has helped Israel more than I have. None, none, none. And I think [Netanyahu] should remember that."