On CNN’s “The Lead” broadcast Friday, Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), a 2024 Democratic presidential candidate, said he hopes Vice President Kamala Harris’ comments on the Israel-Hamas war will influence negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage agreement, and that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “is willing to take some risks and actually get this agreement done, release the hostages and reset how we wage this legitimate and totally justifiable war.”
While Himes said he “doesn’t know” whether the comments will have an impact on the negotiating process, he added, “I really hope they will. It’s long past time to agree a cease-fire. Too many people have died, too many hostages have spent too long in Gaza tunnels. The time is now. I was dismayed by the intensity of the prime minister’s speech last week, I was dismayed by the complete lack of any real vision for the future of Palestinians. So I think the time has come for the prime minister to take a risk and actually get this deal done, release the hostages and reset the way this legitimate, entirely legitimate war is played out.”
Himes added that he doesn’t think Harris’ comments will ruin the meeting.
to follow Ian Hanchett’s Twitter Ian Hanchett
