The West Wing has supported Harris’ willingness to nudge out slightly ahead of Biden, who spent decades as one of the Senate’s foremost supporters of Israel and has been loath to appear like he is turning his back on the country even amid his growing disdain for its prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. Indeed, two administration officials not authorized to speak publicly about internal discussions said Harris’ remarks have created more space for Biden to slowly — and privately — offer his own rebukes of Netanyahu and his conduct of the war.

But the prevailing stance inside the administration is that Biden and Harris are reading from the same script even if it’s with different emphasis.

“In our view, there’s no daylight and she’s completely in line with the president’s approach,” said a third senior administration official who was granted anonymity to provide the administration’s response and internal thinking.

And longtime foreign policy observers say that they detect daylight, deliberate or not.

“One wonders if Vice President Harris has been deliberately tasked with the ‘tough cop’ [role] when it comes to Israel, enabling others to play the ‘good cops,’” said David Makovsky, an expert on U.S.-Israel relations at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “We just don’t know.”

Harris’ comments have come against the backdrop of two fraying relationships: the one shared by the U.S. and Israel and the one the president has with his base of supporters angry over the conduct of the war.

Allies and Democratic operatives believe that Harris’ more outward agitation with Israeli leadership can resonate with a domestic audience eager to see a change of direction from the administration.

“What she said is consistent with what the president and [national security spokesperson John] Kirby have said, but this is one of the things that I think the administration finally gets: That coming from a Black woman, a different group of people may hear that differently, even though it’s the same comment,” said one longtime Harris ally who was granted anonymity to speak freely about the administration.

White House aides say Harris has not rolled out new policies over the last six months but they acknowledge her comments have been perceived differently than Biden’s, including the ABC interview.

“The vice president declined to speculate on a hypothetical situation, consistent with the administration’s position. We continue to have concerns about a major military operation in Rafah. We are never going to leave Israel unable to defend itself,” a Harris aide told POLITICO on condition of anonymity to discuss internal thinking.

While Harris’ remarks have prompted questions about the existence of a perceived chasm within the ranks — “It is fair to say there have been mixed public messages coming from the administration,” is how Makovsky put it — what’s been clearer is that the administration has grown more critical of Israel over time.

On Monday, the U.S. abstained from a United Nations Security Council vote demanding a cease-fire in Gaza during the holy month of Ramadan, one that allows for the release of around 130 hostages. Netanyahu quickly followed through on his threat not to send an Israeli delegation to Washington if the U.S. failed to veto the measure. That followed Biden’s State of the Union address, in which he offered his support of Israel but also highlighted the deteriorating conditions in Gaza, and was caught on a hot mic warning of a “come to Jesus” moment with Netanyahu.

“What you have is an emerging crisis of confidence in the U.S.-Israeli relations that is worse than previous tensions because it cuts to the core of the two drivers that have sustained the relationship: common interests and shared values,” said Aaron David Miller, a former Middle East peace negotiator. “If Netanyahu and Biden can’t find a way to manage this, it will only get worse — leading to a real cosmic ‘oy vey’ moment in U.S.-Israeli relations.”

Administration figures reject any suggestions that their increased emphasis on civilian protection in Gaza has been done in response to domestic pressures, including significant protest votes against the president in several primary elections. But Harris’ comments have nevertheless provided a signal to Democratic constituents — progressives, young Democrats, voters of color — who have soured on Biden over his support for Israel.

And while Biden’s reserves his most stinging rebukes for Israel in private, Harris’ comments do have the potential to move the administration’s posture more broadly.

“We can’t count out that possibility,” said a fourth senior administration official.