In her first interview as the Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris told CNN it was imperative to reach a ceasefire deal in Gaza, but made it clear that she would not alter President Joe Biden’s policy in the region.

However, when pressed on whether she would stop sending weapons to Israel she told Bash, “No, we have to get a deal done, Dana. We have to get a deal done.”

“Adopting an arms embargo against Israel’s assault on Gaza is not only a moral imperative but also a strategic move to defeat Trump and MAGA extremism. It is difficult for the Democratic candidate to champion democracy while arming Netanyahu’s authoritarian regime” reads a recent letter to Harris from the coalition Not Another Bomb.

Recent polling has repeatedly demonstrated that Democratic voters overwhelmingly support the conditioning of U.S. military aid. A Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) survey from March found that 52% of Americans want the U.S. to halt weapons shipments to Israel in order to force a ceasefire. 62% of Biden voters said “The US should stop weapons shipments to Israel until Israel discontinues its attacks on the people of Gaza,” while only 14% disagreed with the statement.

The numbers from a June CBS News poll were even higher, with more than 60% of all voters and almost 80% of Democrats saying the U.S. shouldn’t send Israel weapons.

“The real question should have been, ‘When are you going to start enforcing U.S. law as it relates to arms shipments’ because what we are doing right now, with this United States policy, is in violation of not just international law, but also of American law, “said the Arab Center’s Yousef Munayyer in an interview with Democracy Now in response to the CNN segment. “Vice-President Harris made it clear in other parts of her interview that she wants to be a prosecutor. She wants to enforce the law, but Israel is clearly getting an exception from the Harris campaign.”

  • TommySoda@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    As much as I hate to admit this, I don’t think this will change my opinion on her. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s incredibly fucked up that they continue to give them the weapons they use to murder civilians. But I also know that pretty much every president that has been elected since Israel has existed as a country would do exactly the same. The vast majority of politicians are spineless when it comes to Israel and always will be, regardless of party affiliation. No matter who gets elected it will always be the same answer with varying degrees of severity. And even if Harris wanted to do something about it, do you really think she would say anything new until she knew for a fact she was going to win? She’d get ostracized by the majority of her own party and potentially lose a bunch of those fancy endorsements she just received.

    I’m not saying it’s right. In fact, it’s so fucked up it makes my blood boil. I’m just saying that politicians are fucking cowards and always will be.

    • sub_ubi@lemmy.ml
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      4 months ago

      But I also know that pretty much every president that has been elected since Israel has existed as a country would do exactly the same.

      Your knowledge is incorrect. Please seek out better sources.

      Reagan said Israel is carrying out a holocaust, and stopped them with a single phonecall. Bush Sr. stopped them by threatening arms embargo as well. Eisenhower and Ford couldn’t stomach their bloodlust either and called them off.

      Israel is a client state of the US, it’s best to think of it as the 51st state. They do what they’re told.

        • K1nsey6@lemmy.ml
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          4 months ago

          Not just Reagan, Margaret Thatcher did the same thing. Imagine being to the right of people like Reagan and Thatcher.

      • MataVatnik@lemmy.world
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        4 months ago

        That’s what people forget, all it takes is one phone call from a US Pres. Israel is nobody.

        • kent_eh@lemmy.ca
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          4 months ago

          all it takes is one phone call from a US Pres

          What an amazingly simplistic view of geopolitics.

        • yeather@lemmy.ca
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          4 months ago

          Israel is a nuclear client state. One overzealous president is all it takes to launch a nuke at Pakistan and cause a global calamity.

      • Saff@lemmy.ml
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        4 months ago

        What does trump say? Ultimately that’s the only person you need to compare Harris to.

        • sub_ubi@lemmy.ml
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          4 months ago

          Pretty similar, promising to negotiate a deal to end the slaughter asap. But there’s no reason to believe any candidate wants to end the genocide.

          If you’re an American who pays for the killing, you should act in solidarity with the victims and their relatives. There should be an #uncommitted group in your state, see what they recommend.

            • sub_ubi@lemmy.ml
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              4 months ago

              The average American has far more power over the genocide than most everyone else in the world, including Palestinians. Any act of resistance an American makes is amplified.

              • Saff@lemmy.ml
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                4 months ago

                My point is though they only have two options, and both of those options are happy to continue funding war crimes. They are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Yet people on this platform like to make out that generic mr smith underpaid mechanic in the middle of the US is directly causing children to be murdered. Protesting is the only option but let’s be honest, that just gets ignored. So instead of these relentless posts about Harris continuing funding, why not try to focus on topics where the 2 parties differ to give the people an idea about which party might be best for them in other ways?

                • queermunist she/her@lemmy.ml
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                  4 months ago

                  There’s a very obvious third option that you’re ignoring.

                  You can’t even imagine it. It’s fascinating, really.

                • sub_ubi@lemmy.ml
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                  4 months ago

                  As you said, protest is the only option. One form of protesting is not voting, or voting third party.

                  • Saff@lemmy.ml
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                    4 months ago

                    That’s not protesting, that’s being apathetic and lazy. If you want to protest get out onto the streets, call your local representatives and rally like minded locals. Not voting will only lead to the party that is even more opposite to your beliefs to win.