Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants a war with Iran, as he clearly laid out in his address to the U.S. Congress last month. He returned to Israel emboldened to carry out that goal, seemingly certain of U.S. support—ordering the killing of a top Hamas official on Iranian soil just seven days later.
Experts inside the State Department have been warning the administration for months that unconditional support for Israel was both a morally bankrupt decision and one that directly contradicted U.S. interests in the region. Yet we and our colleagues were sidelined and silenced, and now the United States is on the brink of being drawn into a wider war that does not serve the interests of American people.
To prevent further escalation and make the prospect for diplomacy and peace a reality, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris needs to seek an end to the carnage and send a clear signal that the United States will not give unconditional support to an Israeli war against Hezbollah and Iran. She must insist on diplomacy and in her current role as vice president pressure the administration to avoid regional war. There may not be anything left of Gaza to save in six months’ time, and that is what Netanyahu is betting on.
Harris can correct course by insisting on the application of U.S. laws consistently and fairly when it comes to arms transfers. Applying U.S. laws and regulations (which the administration is currently in violation of) would prompt a conditioning of U.S. military aid to Israel in line with the Leahy laws, the Arms Export Control Act, and the Foreign Assistance Act. Based on its repeated, systematic, documented gross human rights violations and obstruction of U.S. humanitarian assistance, Israel is no longer eligible to receive U.S. security assistance.
Article asks a lot from potential POTUS Harris, but doesn’t seem to ask for anything from her opponent.
Obviously the Trump admin would be far more destructive but I don’t think either would give unconditional support (unless Trump had more to benefit personally).
Netanyahu heavily favors trump, he went straight to visit him after his speech at Congress. Trump will certainly accelerate the genocide, yet he’s still running on a ‘peace’ narrative (lies, but his rhetoric is that the wars will end)
Changing support of Israel into a partisan issue would disadvantage the RNC, as Netanyahu, who the Majority of Americans find unfavourable, aligns with Trump; and also mobilize progressive Americans to vote, such as the ~100k voters of the Uncommitted Movement in Michigan, which is critical to the election.
The main issue is that Harris can’t really go against Biden’s policy during the Biden administration, at least publicly. Hopefully, enough grassroots momentum can convince Harris to push Biden left on this issue while he’s still a lame duck. Palestinians in Gaza don’t really have the luxury to wait during an ongoing genocide
People who hate Jewish people also heavily favor Trump. And one way or another, this is the last time Trump will ever be up for reelection (unless he loses and runs again in 2028 lmao) so theres not that much incentive once he is actually in office. Also, Israel’s superpac is lobbying both side, even if unequally.
If we’re going to beg candidates for a policy stance we should at least not demand standards for only one of them. No value in singling them out, in blaming them specifically. And yes, push Biden left, ask for all the help we can get from the current admin, but realistically harrassing Harris isn’t going to budge them.
Republicans are aligned with the aims of Israel, ethnic cleansing. The only avenue for change is from the Democratic party
I will always advocate for demanding more from your representatives (Harris), that’s fundamental to a functional democracy. Especially when that demand is to stop funding and enabling a genocide