LOS ANGELES.–Vice President Kamala Harris, 59, didn’t attend 74-year-old Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu’s speech yesterday to joint session of Congress, Netanyahu showed for all to see he’s one of the great orators of his generation. There’s no one, other that 78-year-old President Donald Trump, that comes close to Bibi’s powerful oratory, leaving his audience in a constant state of applause. Yet Kamala’s decision to not attend Netanyahu’s speech shows she’s pandering to different groups now that Biden is out as Democrats’ 2024 nominee. Biden tried to show toughness with Israel over humanitarian concerns in Gaza but was for the most part backs Israel. Kamala walks a tightrope with pro-Palestinian voters in Michigan and other parts of the Midwest, where they were dissatisfied with Biden’s decision to give Israel a blank check to prosecute its nine-month war with Hamas.
Netanyahu made clear yesterday that America and Israel’s opposition to terrorism and the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas massacre was ironclad, even though some 5,000 Iranian-backed protesters showed up in D.C. to protest Netanyahu’s speech. Protestors burn American flags and sprayed graffiti out Washington’s Union Station. “I condemn the burning of the American flag. That flag is a symbol of our highest ideals as a nation and represents the promise of America. It should never be desecrated in that way,” Harris said, serving notice that she’s not a rubber stamp for pro-Palestinian protesters to deface public property or defile American symbols. Harris walks a fine line showing support to Rep. Rashid Tlaib (D-Mich.), the only Palestinian member of Congress. Tlaib has let her feelings known, drawing a censure Nov. 8, 2023 from the House, for her anti-Semitic comments.
Tlaib likes to say her beef, as a Paletinian from the West Bank, is not with Jews but with the Netnayahu government. Yet Tlaib lets her pro-Hamas rhetoric get out of hand saying things like “from the river to the sea,” a Palestinian expression calling for the destruction of Israel. Tlaib denied the meaning behind the statement, tried to explain it away but her House colleagues didn’t buy it. Harris condemning flag burning and graffiti showed she walks a fine line pandering to American Arab groups, while, at the same time, preserving her support for American Jews and the state of Israel. Harris is married to Jewish entertainment attorney Doug Emhoff obviously opposed to the kind of anti-Semitism seen in some places in the Democrat Party. Harris wants to show Arab Americans, angered by Biden’s backing of Israel, that she understands the humanitarian crisis from the Gaza war.
Anyone watching Netanyahu’s speech can’t help but marvel at his charismatic and forceful arguments in support of Israel. When the campaign rolls on, Harris will be forced to refine her position, clarifying if there’s any separation with the Biden policy, of backing Israel as the U.S. major Mideast ally. Kamala runs the risk of pandering to Arab groups at the expense of a traditional U.S. ally in the ongoing fight against terrorism. Netanyahu said in his speech that funding for pros-Palestinian protests in the U.S. and elsewhere comes from Iran, the Mideast chief state sponsor of terrorism. Any indication that Harris backs Hamas terrorism in any way would potentially damage her 2024 campaign. Progressive leaders like Rep. Pramilla Jayapal (D-Wash.) hopes Kamala would take a more even-handed position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, especially the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Harris walks a tightrope pandering to the Arab vote and at the same time backing Israel’s nine-month fight against Hamas in Gaza. President Joe Biden, 81, is due to meet with Netanyahu today at the White House, hoping to persuade him to accept his ceasefire deal. Netanyahu made clear yesterday that he would not stop in Gaza until Hamas has been militarily defeated, unable to continue ruling Gaza. Pro-Palestinian groups have called for an unconditional Israeli pullout of Gaza, even if it leaves Hamas in power. Netanyahu knows that if he leaves Hamas in power, Oct. 7 would be repeated again-and-again. Hamas has never accepted any peace deal with Israel, only calling for Israel’s destruction. Kamala will be forced to take a position on Israeli security, including whether or not Israel should end its war without getting rid of Hamas.
Thrust into the 2024 race only four days ago, Kamala hasn’t come up to speed on many issues that she needs to take on the campaign, including the Israel-Gaza war. When it comes to border, Republicans have come out swinging, blaming Kamala for not doing her designated job of securing the Mexico border. When it comes to the Ukraine War, Kamala won’t be given much time to figure out whether she stick with the Biden policy of funding proxy war in Ukraine with the Kremlin. Former President Donald Trump has promised to end the Ukraine War immediately on winning the November election. Trump already tells voters that there’s no difference between Harris on all of Biden’s failures. When it comes to the Gaza and Ukraine war, Harris will have to stake out a position and live with the consequences or show she’s not ready for the White House.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
