Kamala Harris is "speaking." But is she saying anything?
On the subject of Israel, she is. And it doesn't augur well for the Jewish state
On the few occasions when Kamala Harris and Mike Pence were both talking during their debate four years ago, Kamala Harris admonished the then-vice president by saying “I am speaking.” This statement met with much approval from feminists who maintain (without basis, as the mainstream media might say) that women don’t get to speak enough.
For his part, Pence must have been tempted to respond, “yes, but you’re not saying anything.”
Harris trotted out her pet line again at a rally in Michigan last week. When pro-Hamas demonstrators chanted, “Kamala, Kamala you can’t hide, we won’t vote for genocide,” Harris responded: “Everyone’s voice matters, but I am speaking now. I am speaking now.”
When the protesters continued to chant, Harris tripled down, stating:
You know what? If you want Donald Trump to win, then say that. Otherwise, I’m speaking.
With this rejoinder, I believe that Harris, for once, did say something — albeit mostly by what she didn’t say. Harris didn’t say that Israel is our ally. She didn’t say that Israel isn’t committing genocide or even that the evidence is inconclusive on that point. She didn’t say, as her national security has, that she “does not support an arms embargo on Israel.”
Instead, she told the small contingent of pro-Hamas hecklers, in effect, that it’s in their interests to defeat Trump and elect her.
Why would it be in the protesters’ interests to elect Harris? The question answers itself. As president, Harris would be sympathetic to the protesters’ demands and unsympathetic to Israel.
Despite Harris’ quest to say as little as possible about this issue — and most others — there are other indications that she’s anti-Israel. For example, the founder of a pro-Palestinian group who met with Harris reported:
I asked her, ‘Will you meet with us to talk about an arms embargo?’” And Kamala Harris nodded. She agreed, “Yes, we will meet.”
How was it that this anti-Israel activist got an audience with Harris? She received an invitation from the campaign to arrive early and meet Harris.
In fact, throughout the war in Gaza, Harris has been pushing for a tougher stance against Israel. Reportedly, Harris is also the one who urged Joe Biden to warn against “Islamophobia” whenever discussing Hamas’ October 7 massacre.
To fully understand Harris’ true stance on Israel, and on Jews, I recommend this article from the Jerusalem post. It includes the following passage:
Over the years, her actions and statements have consistently raised alarms about her commitment to Israel. In February 2019, when Ilhan Omar used antisemitic tropes by suggesting that American support for Israel was “all about the Benjamins” and accusing Jews of having “allegiance to a foreign country,” Harris’ response was disturbingly tepid. Instead of unequivocally condemning Omar’s statements, Harris expressed concern that the criticism might endanger Omar.
I think it’s pretty clear whose side Harris is on, and it’s not Israel’s.
Last Fall, when antisemitism emerged in full force on college campuses, with little pushback from administrators, and when the mainstream media began bombarding us with anti-Israel war reporting, I said that Democratic support for Israel would likely expire in a decade.
I was probably too optimistic. If Kamala Harris wins this election, Democratic support for Israel might well expire next year.
Democrat Party support for Israel expired when Obama was able to win the vote for the JCPOA Iran nuclear deal.
Great analysis. Jim Dueholm