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Potential Dem Presidential Candidate Sounds a Lot Like Harris With This Answer on Palestinian Statehood

Leah Barkoukis
Leah Barkoukis  |  August 12, 2025 9:00 AM

As more nations pledge to recognize Palestine as a state next month at the U.N. General Assembly, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was asked for his thoughts on the issue.

On the “Pod Save America” podcast, the former South Bend, Indiana, mayor called it a “profound question” before launching into a word-salad response that critics argue is reminiscent of Kamala Harris.

"I think that that's a profound question that arouses a lot of the biggest problems that have happened with Israel's...right to survival in the diplomatic scene," he told host Jon Favreau. "And many of the people who have taken that step historically have done so for different reasons than what we see happening with European countries. I think we need to step back and we need to do whatever it takes to ensure that there is a real two-state solution and that no one, not even the likes of Netanyahu, can veto the international community’s commitment to a two-state solution where you have Palestinians and Israelis living with safety, with security, with rights. I believe that can happen, but we have to actually show some commitment to it."

In the same interview, Buttigieg was asked how the next administration should handle the U.S.'s relationship with Israel.

“Well, certainly Netanyahu can’t be the only voice or the only compass for what should happen in the U.S.-Israel relationship," he said. "No matter how strongly, or especially because of how strongly, you might believe in Israel’s right to exist and defend itself, you don’t have to make excuses for the choices that Netanyahu is making, especially because they are often made not only in the name of the Israeli people, but in the name of a U.S. alliance."

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Buttigieg continued, "I think that we, as Israel’s strongest ally and friend, you put your arm around your friend when there’s something like this going on and talk about what we’re prepared to do together. And it cannot be—certainly cannot be—what we see right now from this administration and this president talking about beachfront property in Gaza before he’s prepared to talk about human suffering in Gaza."