Harris makes strong case for Israel’s security at DNC ​​– The Forward

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during the Democratic National Convention on August 22, 2024. Photo by Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images

By Jodi Rudoren, Jacob Kornblüh23 August 2024

CHICAGO — Vice President Kamala Harris made a strong and convincing case for Israel's right to defend itself – with financial support from the United States – on Wednesday night, and was rewarded with one of the most rousing reactions of the evening from the crowd at the United Center.

Her comments about the war in Gaza were the longest and strongest during the four-day celebration of Democratic joy and unity, and made clear that Harris has no intention of abandoning Israel — or the moderate voters who support it — to her Republican rival, former President Donald Trump. Signaling that she would also seek to bolster the party's left flank, Harris mentioned the “heartbreaking” suffering in Gaza and the human and national rights of Palestinians in almost the same breath, earning her an equally enthusiastic round of applause from the crowd.

“The Israeli people must never again be confronted with the horrors that the terrorist organization Hamas inflicted on October 7,” Harris said toward the end of her 36-minute speech. “This includes unspeakable sexual violence and the massacre of young people at a music festival.”

“At the same time, the events in Gaza over the last ten months have been devastating,” she added. “So many innocent people have lost their lives. Desperate, hungry people continue to flee from safety.”

She said she and President Joe Biden were “working around the clock because now is the time to negotiate a hostage deal and a ceasefire.” A few sentences later, she said again that they were trying to “end this war in a way that keeps Israel safe, releases the hostages, ends the suffering in Gaza, and allows the Palestinian people to exercise their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination.”

The detailed remarks came as a surprise after the politicians on the main stage of the congress had barely addressed Israel and Gaza.

They followed a stirring speech Wednesday night by the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, one of more than 100 Israeli hostages still held by Hamas, and came after a 22-hour vigil by the 30 “undecided” delegates protesting the DNC's refusal to allow a Palestinian-American elected official to speak at the convention.

How Jewish Democrats reacted to Harris' speech

Jewish Democrats cheered the speech. Abraham Foxman, the former chairman of the Anti-Defamation League, said Harris' “unequivocal support for Israel” should “put to rest questions about her position.” Jeremy Ben-Ami, president of J Street, said “her remarks were spot on.” And Amy Spitalnick, chair of the Jewish Council on Public Affairs, said the “section on Israel and Gaza was perfect.”

“Clear support for Israeli security,” Spitalnick noted. “Focus on hostage management and ceasefire. And commitment to peace that ensures the security, humanity and self-determination of both Israelis and Palestinians.”

Halie Soifer, executive director of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, said Harris had “once again demonstrated her unwavering commitment to standing with Israel. Kamala Harris stands with the vast majority of Jewish voters on every issue that matters, and the vast majority of Jewish voters enthusiastically support her.”

The reaction from the Trump campaign was harsh, if somewhat inappropriate. “Harris and Biden's reversal of President Trump's decision to cut Palestinian aid – which often goes directly into the hands of terrorists – enabled the worst attack on Israel in decades,” a spokesperson said. “Now Kamala has sacrificed America's greatest ally just to maintain the support of the anti-Semitic base.”

Matt Brooks, chairman of the Republican Jewish Coalition, had promised to “plant 1,800 trees in Israel” if a Democrat spoke up for Israel's security at the convention. Asked Thursday night how many trees Harris deserved and when they would be planted, Brooks replied: “No story for your snarky remarks.”

After months of worries about the war dividing the Democratic Party, pro-Palestinian protests surrounding the convention this week fell far short of expectations. Mass marches on Monday afternoon and Thursday evening drew at most a few thousand people, perhaps a tenth of the announced turnout.

One conventioneer managed to unfurl a banner reading “Stop Arming Israel” during President Biden's speech on Monday night, but he was quickly stopped and removed from the arena. Flags were burned and arrests were made at demonstrations near the Israeli consulate, making the movement appear fringe and radical.

“The anti-Israel left has no reason to rejoice in the face of developments,” said Nathan Diamant of the Orthodox Union.

The strongest protest came from the “undecided” delegates, who represent 700,000 votes from the Democratic primaries and were cast as a sign against Biden and Harris’ support for Israel since October 7.

The delegates are, after all, activists within the party, and they held their press conferences and sit-ins civilly and constructively. They were joined by 300 delegates who had pledged to Harris and called themselves “ceasefire delegates” – still a small portion of the total 4,700 delegates. They began their sit-in outside the United Center after Goldberg-Polins' speech on Wednesday and remained there all night and most of Thursday, entering the arena only about an hour before Harris' speech.

“I was glad that the loudest applause from Democrats came when Harris mentioned Palestinian freedom,” said Waleed Shahid, a spokesman for the Uncommitted movement. “I just wish a Palestinian American had had the freedom to tell his own story.”

Joel Rubin, who has done Jewish outreach for Bernie Sanders during his 2020 presidential campaign as well as for Biden, joined other Jewish leaders in praising Harris' balancing act, saying the loud cheers for her defense of Israel were “an exciting result.”

“It was a perfect combination of strength, strategy and empathy,” Rubin said, “all in the service of our national security and our values.”