Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris sat down with the National Association of Black Journalists for a Tuesday panel discussion, during which she struggled to convey her position on the Israel-Hamas war and repeatedly sparred with the friendly moderators.
During one exchange, moderator Tanya Mosley of Philadelphia radio station WHYY asked Harris where she draws "the line between" Israel's "aggression and defense." After saying there was "a lot to unpack" in the question, Harris touted her belief that the Jewish state "has a right to defend itself." Mosley pressed Harris to answer the question. Harris did not take it well.
"No, no, let me finish," she responded. "It's important to put it in context, which is what I'm doing, and I'll get to that."
"There must be stability and peace in that region, in as much as what we do in our goal is to ensure that Israelis have security, and Palestinians in equal measure have security, have self-determination, and dignity," Harris said. "That there be an ability to have security in the region, for all concerned, in a way that we create stability, and—let us all also recognize—in a way that ensures that Iran is not empowered in this whole scenario in terms of the peace and stability in the region."
Mosley did not ask a follow-up question. She did, however, spar with Harris later on. After asking Harris how she would "address the issue of the use of handguns," Harris instead touted her proposed ban on "assault weapons," prompting Mosley to interject. "I'm gonna get to it," a grinning Harris said.
Other moderators included Politico's Eugene Daniels and TheGrio's Gerren Gaynor, who at one point asked Harris, "Why is joy important to you to insert into this election?"