Former Vice President Kamala Harris criticizes President Joe Biden’s handling of the Israel-Gaza war in her forthcoming memoir, arguing he failed to extend genuine empathy toward Palestinian civilians killed in Israel’s military response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks.
“I had pleaded with Joe, when he spoke publicly on this issue, to extend the same empathy he showed to the suffering of Ukrainians to the suffering of innocent Gazan civilians,” Harris writes in 107 Days, set for release Tuesday, according to a copy obtained by Axios. “But he couldn’t do it: While he could passionately state, ‘I am a Zionist,’ his remarks about innocent Palestinians came off as inadequate and forced.”
The book represents Harris’ sharpest effort yet to distance herself from Biden, something she largely avoided during the 2024 campaign. She devotes significant attention to Israel and Gaza, portraying Biden’s “perceived blank check” to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a political liability that hurt Democrats.
“Netanyahu didn’t care about Joe’s loyalty,” Harris writes. “He wanted Trump in the seat opposite him. Not Joe, not me.”
Neither Harris nor Biden’s spokespersons commented on the book. During Biden’s presidency, both sides had denied any rift over Gaza policy.
Still, Biden himself grew frustrated with Netanyahu’s approach. In March 2024, he warned that Israel could not allow “another 30,000 Palestinians dead” and declared such a toll a “red line.” A month later, he said Israel “has also not done enough to protect civilians.”
Harris also reveals how Gaza protests influenced her deliberations over a running mate last year. She recounts discussing the issue with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro before ultimately selecting Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
While affirming Israel’s right to respond to Hamas’ atrocities, Harris condemns Netanyahu’s “ferocity” and failure to prioritize hostages, saying it weakened Israel’s moral standing abroad and fueled dissent at home. She also acknowledges frustration with progressive activists who disrupted her rallies over Gaza.
“The threat to withhold their vote got to me,” she writes. “It felt reckless. The issue was not binary, but the outcome of this election certainly was.”
