Time is running out for Kamala Harris to distance herself from U.S. policies that enable Israel to continue with mass murder and genocide in Gaza. Polling shows that a pivot toward moral decency would improve her chances of defeating Donald Trump. But during her CNN interview Thursday night, Harris remained in lockstep with President Biden’s unconditional arming of Israel.
Two weeks ago, YouGov pollsters released findings in Arizona, Georgia and Pennsylvania, three swing states now on a razor’s edge between Harris and Trump. “In Pennsylvania, 34 percent of respondents said they would be more likely to vote for the Democratic nominee if the nominee vowed to withhold weapons to Israel, compared to 7 percent who said they would be less likely. The rest said it would make no difference,” the new journalism site Zeteo reported.
Results in the two other states were similar. “In Arizona, 35 percent said they’d be more likely, while 5 percent would be less likely. And in Georgia, 39 percent said they’d be more likely, also compared to 5 percent who would be less likely.”
But on CNN, Harris stuck to echoing Biden’s rhetoric – calling for a ceasefire while dodging the reality that the U.S. government could force one by implementing an arms embargo on Israel.
Huge U.S. shipments of weapons and bombs to Israel keep allowing it to massacre and starve civilians of all ages while violating federal statutes as well as international law. Days ago, Biden approved sending arms to Israel worth upwards of $20 billion. The transfers were called “sales,” but as policy analyst Stephen Semler pointed out, “most if not all of this matériel is paid for by U.S. taxpayers – Israel uses much of the military aid Congress approves for it effectively as a gift card to buy U.S.-made weapons.”
Just listening to Harris during her CNN interview, you’d be clueless about the realities that the UN high commissioner for human rights, Volker Türk, spelled out in a statement midway through August: “The people of Gaza are now grieving 40,000 Palestinian lives lost, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Most of the dead are women and children. This unimaginable situation is overwhelmingly due to recurring failures by the Israeli Defense Forces to comply with the rules of war. On average, about 130 people have been killed every day in Gaza over the past 10 months. The scale of the Israeli military’s destruction of homes, hospitals, schools and places of worship is deeply shocking.”
Notably, Harris gave no indication of the number of Palestinian lives lost – while she did say that 1,200 Israelis, including “many young people,” lost their lives on October 7. That most of the Palestinians who died were children and women went unmentioned.
While the vice president said that Israelis were “massacred,” she relied on passive voice to say only that too many Palestinians “have been killed.”
After recording the interview, I transcribed it in full:
CNN’S Dana Bash: “President Biden has tried unsuccessfully to end the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. He’s been doing it for months and months along with you. Would you do anything differently, for example would you withhold some U.S. weapons shipments to Israel? That’s what a lot of people on the progressive left want you to do.”
Harris: “Let me be very clear. I am unequivocal and unwavering in my commitment to Israel’s defense and its ability to defend itself, and that’s not gonna change. But let’s take a step back. October 7. Twelve hundred people are massacred, many young people who are simply attending a music festival. Women were horribly raped. As I said then I say today, Israel had a right, has a right to defend itself. We would. And how it does so matters. Far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed, and we have got to get a deal done. We were in Doha, we have to get a deal done, this war must end – ”
Bash: “And in the meantime – “
Harris: “And we must get a deal that is about getting the hostages out. I’ve met with the families of the American hostages. Let’s get the hostages out. Let’s get the ceasefire done.”
Bash: “But no change in policy? In terms of arms and so forth.”
Harris: “No. We have to get a deal done. Dana, we have to get a deal done. When you look at the significance of this to the families, to the people who are living in that region, a deal is not only the right thing to do to end this war, but will unlock so much of what must happen next. I remain committed, since I’ve been on October 8, to what we must do to work toward a two-state solution, where Israel is secure and in equal measure the Palestinians have security and self-determination and dignity.”
When I heard Harris say “I remain committed,” I felt sure that the phrase “two-state solution” could not be far behind. For U.S. politicians and pundits, it has become a handy slogan to assert virtuous intent — rendered more and more absurd as Israel’s terroristic ethnic cleansing persists in Gaza and escalates in the occupied West Bank. And as genocide continues to gain momentum.
There is every reason to believe that Donald Trump – who said this summer that the president should let Israel “finish the job” – would be even worse than Biden as an accomplice to Israel’s slaughter of Palestinian people. But that’s no reason to evade the unconscionable complicity of President Biden in the daily mass atrocities.
A suction tube of euphemisms and evasion has captured many a partisan mind. And so it was from the podium of the Democratic National Convention, when the usually admirable Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez descended into making the groundless claim that Harris “is working tirelessly to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and bringing the hostages home.”
In sharp contrast, with horrors in Gaza continuing, fellow Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib has never taken the easy way out. As she has done countless times since last fall, on Thursday she sent out a truthful and disturbing message.
“Palestinian Americans feel invisible, with our trauma and pain unseen and ignored by both Democrats and Republicans,” Tlaib wrote. “We want action to stop the horrific massacres of our families and polling shows that, regardless of political party, the majority of Americans are with us… Yet, even after over 600 weapons shipments since October, including fighter jets, high explosive mortars, and more, the Biden administration has approved another $20 billion in weapons for the Israeli military to commit well-documented war crimes and continue to murder Palestinian children and civilians.”
And Tlaib wrote: “An arms embargo to stop the genocide is not just the moral, just, and right thing to do. It is also good politics.”
Whether Kamala Harris will ever really get the message is unclear.
Norman Solomon is the national director of RootsAction.org and executive director of the Institute for Public Accuracy. His latest book, War Made Invisible: How America Hides the Human Toll of Its Military Machine (The New Press), was published in paperback with a new afterword about the Gaza war in autumn 2024.
Well, no surprise here… Traversing this subject during campaigning is, per usual.
"Whether Kamala Harris Will Ever Really Get The Message Is Unclear". It is clear she will not get the message.
She doesn't say Israel stands in the way of getting the hostages released and says "Israel Has A Right To Defend Itself". It is denying the Palestinians the right to defend themselves due to the military and economic aid it gets from its allies, especially the USA.
She says the people in Gaza are suffering but won't say from what. She says Israel suffered from rocket attacks launched by Hamas and people were taken hostage. Israel is causing the suffering by blocking aid and shutting off water and electricity. The people are suffering from dehydration, starvation, skin diseases and diarrhea. They are eating yard vegetation and drinking seawater to get by.
Many of Israel's soldiers and RWNJs in the USA are openly bragging about Israel's war crimes and raping Palestinians in addition to the other things I mentioned.
Some excellent points which should be more publicized.
"Time is running out for Kamala Harris to distance herself"
It's ridiculous to even imagine that would happen.
"Whether Kamala Harris will ever really get the message is unclear."
Fuck no, it's not "unclear."
Also not noted is that Harris repeated the "Hamas rape" hoax lies which has been thoroughly debunked since last October or November at least.
She also knows quite explicitly that there is ZERO chance of a "deal" in any way, shape or form. Yet since everyone else has a terminal case of "hopium" that there will be a deal they can't even attempt to make that clear.
The level of hypocrisy and head in the sand is staggering – but not unexpected. This is what humans do. I think that annihilating Zionism will not be enough – humans need to be removed as well, replaced with a species with zero emotion, especially the fear of death which drives all human behavior.
She just repeats what her pro Zionist zealot husband Douglas Emhoff tells her.
Still sticking to that "horrible rapes, etc." story. SMH….
U.S. financial/political elite has a consensus on major foreign politics issues: Palestine, Russia, China, Iran. Trump wants to make America great again for what? For further escalation the conflicts in the world and bringing us all closer to a big disaster? Only idiots may wish to have such "Great America".
RFK wants to improve the environment for Americans. Tulsi wants fewer conflicts. Vance wants improved opportunities for Americans.
Trump 2024
Trump?!?!?!
Oye Vey!
Don’t mess with me Donna!!! My finger is over the down vote, and I’m not afraid to use it.
I double dare ya! ;-}
I’ll down vote, and I won’t even explain why. Hit and run.
Sure…! Trump 2024 From Prison…!
I do agree that they can improve the environment for Americans but is it good for the rest of the world? Both Trump and Vance are supporting Zionists unconditionally. They both are devoted to the interests of MIC. Trump is pathologically anti-Chinese. Even if they chose to stop Ukrainian war, it is not so easy to achieve. Definitely one phone call is not enough (Jeffrey Sachs said that one phone call would be enough). It may be enough for starting the negotiations but not enough for stopping the fighting, because it would be too difficult to agree about new Ukraine-Russia border. So all the conflicts will carry on, and as the economic situation in U.S. improves, MIC will have more money to invest in wars. The strong prosperous America will be more dangerous to the world than poor America as long as foreign politics don't change.
– 34% said Likely…
– 7% said Less Likely…
– Rest said make no difference…!
Assuming the poling is true, The Rest means 59% of likely voters… plus 7% of Less Likely totaling 66% of voters who don't give a damn about people in Gaza… almost matching Israeli citizens view of Gaza massacre themselves… Sadly Amazing…!
That sounds about right. Gaza is "foreign policy" about which the vast majority of Americans are utterly clueless. So the fact that 34% DO care is actually what is amazing. I suspect it's all the dead bodies being shown on X and Facebook. Americans do tend to notice actual dead bodies, if nothing else. What they don't notice is how their own government is producing those bodies – unless the bodies are actually US citizens.
|What they don't notice is how their own government is producing those bodies – unless the bodies are actually US citizens.|
US government also produces bodies of US citizens… nine eleven…!
Try dodging a bullet or a bomb Ms. Harris, truly!
This is a reference to WAR.
I wouldn't vote for her if she were the only one running. She'll follow in the footsteps of Thatcher, Meir, Ghandi, down that road to prove that women can be as vile and stupid as men, and IMO she's well on her way.
Another disgusting election campaign where the two wings of the WAR party have absolutely nothing to offer beyond continued violence and intimidation. These people have no honor – none.
No thanks.
You are the first person I’ve heard say that which I have thought since Hillary’s Oval Office run. Great post.
I have it here the interview so everyone can hear and view for themselves.
Aug 30, 2024 Pete Hegseth: Kamala Harris couldn't answer the easiest question
Fox News co-host Pete Hegseth calls out the vice president for not unveiling her political vision in a CNN interview on 'Jesse Watters Primetime'
https://youtu.be/OxRw0Rf_70U?si=7Ij_lH7pbXyVsIz8
Hmmmm……
Ahemmmmm……..
Worth watching and thanks.
You just helped me to make up my mind.
There is no one I would vote for, maybe third party alt.!
You should vote third party….! In order to survive… US needs to revitalize their third party systems…!
Hmmmmm………..
Gaza is unlivable. The big issue is where do Gaza refugees go? Countries should ban together a demand a fee of say $100,000 from Israel for every refugee.
Proactive thinking!