The question of the Democratic stance on Gaza could be viewed as somewhat of a prohibited subject in Chicago; any mention of the conflict is avoided. Dissidents who stray from this unspoken rule have had Palestinian banners removed, and even peaceful protests are relegated to specific distances. In an alarming incident, a woman who chose to speak out during the president’s speech was repudiated by chants favouring Biden and hit with the president’s placard. Addressing one of the most contentious issues in US foreign policy almost feels like tempting destiny.
Kamala Harris’s most sensible stance, however, seems to be maintaining silence. As the vice-president to Joe Biden, openly opposing his views is not within her power. A similar situation occurred in 1968 when Hubert Humphrey, Democratic nominee and deputy to Lyndon Johnson, wrangled over the idea of proposing a cessation to the incessant bombing of North Vietnam. His indecisiveness was a contributing factor to his electoral defeat.
The equivalent for Harris would be to propose an arms embargo until Israel concedes to a ceasefire. This position would however undermine Biden, who last week approved another substantial arms deal for Israel worth $20 billion (€18 billion). Even if Biden were to suggest playing the ‘bad cop’ to his ‘good cop’ regarding Israel, for Harris, silence would remain her most promising campaign strategy.
Taking an absolute stand could result in Harris losing support. Supporting the current situation would lead to further friction with progressive voters, including the 100,000 who, during the Michigan primary earlier this year, favoured ‘undecided’ over Biden. Winning over swing states like Michigan, which could be decided by a marginal number of votes, is crucial for Harris’s White House ambitions.
However, attempting to exert American influence over Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, could backfire for Harris. She has already lost favour with some Jewish-American voters by choosing not to have Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania’s governor as her running mate; a decision likely made to avoid having a vice-president with higher White House aspirations. Her choice, Tim Walz, reportedly has no such ambitions.
Regardless, Harris has been plagued by speculation that she excluded Shapiro due to his perceived stronger pro-Israel tendencies, or even because of his Jewish faith. Shapiro dismissed Trump’s allegation that his religion was the reason behind Harris’s decision, retorting that Trump was the least credible person to speak on the subject of hate and anti-Semitism. Pennsylvania, home to a large Jewish demographic, also happens to be a crucial state for Harris’s chance at victory.
Harris’s silence lends ammunition to both sides to perceive her in the worst possible light. While Democrats are basking in the glow of their fresh face, the international standing of the United States is bearing the brunt of significant damage. One cannot compare the devastation in Gaza to anything less than the ruins of Warsaw in 1945 or Grozny in 1999. It’s hard for anyone who observes the flattened territory to argue that Israel has carried out precision bombing. Gazan destruction by Israel appears more of a calculated lesson for Palestinians to remember, predominantly using American firepower.
The acclaim for Biden as a remarkable president in Chicago is somewhat a reverberation of Democratic remorse. His abrupt exit, facilitated by the party, is being softened with praises. Nonetheless, these tributes to Biden are in danger of being excessive. His underwhelming Middle East policies can be traced back to the Hamas-led massacre last year on October 7th.
Biden fell short in fulfilling his commitment to recommence the nuclear agreement with Iran. This agreement was abandoned by America under Trump’s administration in 2018. Apprehension over backlash from the pro-Netanyahu Israeli lobby, who viewed the Iran deal as a concession, triggered Biden’s over-conservatism. As a result, the same pattern was followed for his handling of the event on October 7th. Every time Netanyahu has dared Biden, he has given in. If an extraterrestrial were examining the US-Israel association, it might deduce that Israel commands control. On the rare moments Biden has suggested America might harness its power to curb Israel, he has been forced to retract his statement.
In a seemingly futile attempt, Biden is persistently urging Netanyahu for a ceasefire this week, mirroring previous unsuccessful attempts. It is hoped that Harris can avert a broader Middle East conflict for the following 10 weeks. Should she beat Trump in the November contest, her true sentiments will be revealed. She’s heavily insinuated that she’s more troubled than Biden by the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Harris ought to express her views on the potential fallout for Palestinians if Trump becomes victorious. His disinterest in their predicament is glaringly obvious. The root cause of anti-Semitism at its most threatening state in the U.S. shouldn’t be perplexing. It’s true that the left-wing opposition to Zionism may immaturely demand freedom for Palestine “from the river to the sea”. However, as the situation in Chicago exemplifies, their influence within Democratic circles is miniscule. In contrast, Trump has engaged socially with Holocaust deniers at Mar-a-Lago. The issues at hand are fairly straightforward. – The Financial Times Limited 2024.