(CNN)The CEO of the Anti-Defamation League on Thursday said he has spoken with Vice President Kamala Harris' office after the vice president's interaction earlier in the week with a student at George Mason University, who criticized the US' funding of Israel and Saudi Arabia while asking Harris a question.
"Just spoke with @VP office. Glad to hear her confirm she is proud of her record supporting #Israel, and knows claim it is committing 'ethnic genocide' is patently false," CEO Jonathan Greenblatt tweeted Thursday. "Looking fwd to a clearing of the record so there's no ambiguity that what that student said was hateful/wrong,"
While visiting a political science class at George Mason University on Tuesday to honor national voter registration day, Harris took questions from three students, including one who brought up the nation's funding of Israel in a lengthy question.
"You brought up how the power of the people and demonstrations and organizing is very valuable in America. I see that over the summer, there have been, like, protests and demonstrations and astronomical numbers done with Palestine, but then just a few days ago there were funds allocated to continue backing Israel, which hurts my heart because it's an ethnic genocide and a displacement of people -- the same that happened in America and I'm sure you're aware of this," the student said in part of her question, saying that the funding occurs as Americans suffer at home.
"And I feel like there's a lack of listening, and I just feel like I need to bring that up because it affects my life and people I really care about's life ...," the student added.
Harris responded, "I'm glad you did."
"And again, this is about the fact that your voice, your perspective, your experience, your truth cannot be suppressed, and it must be heard. ... Our goal should be unity, but not uniformity," Harris said. "And the point that you're making about policies that relates to Middle East policy, foreign policy. We still have healthy debates in our country, about what is the right path. And nobody's voice should be suppressed on that."
CNN has reached out to the vice president's office about the communication over Harris' comments.
The House last week easily approved $1 billion in funding for Israel's Iron Dome Aerial Defense System, advancing the bill to the Senate for consideration with just eight Democrats and one Republican voting against the measure, and two voting "present."
The aerial defense system, which has for years been heavily sponsored by the United States, is designed to intercept rockets midair -- by targeting them and firing interceptor missiles to destroy them -- before they can kill civilians living in Israel. This week's legislation specifically would provide funding to replace missile interceptors that were used during heavy fighting with Hamas in May.
Last spring, a number of congressional Democrats ramped up pressure on the Biden administration to more forcefully engage on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as violence in the region intensified. "It's time to have serious conversations about conditioning military aid," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, said at the time.
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Anti-Defamation League CEO says he spoke with vice president's office about Israel interaction - CNN
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