Harris Claims She'll End Gaza War In Final Election Pitch To Arab Americans
Campaigning this weekend in the swing state of Michigan, Kamala Harris made a final desperate pitch to Arab-Americans, issuing a vague promise that if she becomes president her administration will end the war in Gaza.
Michigan is of course home to huge communities of Arabs as well as Muslim Americans. There are also many Arab Christians in the state - but all are united in their condemnation of the Biden-Harris White House's blank check support to Israel and the IDF's killing of tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians during operations against Hamas.
A mere day out from the election, Harris on Sunday tried to turn disgruntled progressives and Democrats in her favor, many who have vowed to register a protest 'uncommitted' vote, by saying she'll "end" the death and destruction in Gaza at an event at Michigan State University.
But nowhere in her comments did she outline how she hopes to end the Gaza war:
"This year has been difficult, given the scale of death and destruction in Gaza and given the civilian casualties and displacement in Lebanon, it is devastating. And as president, I will do everything in my power to end the war in Gaza, to bring home the hostages, end the suffering in Gaza, ensure Israel is secure, and ensure the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, freedom, security and self-determination," Harris said to applause during a rally in East Lansing city of Michigan, home to 200,000 Arab Americans.
Progressives have over the course of the last year slammed the Democratic administration for paying lip service to peace, all while ramping up deliveries of heavy arms and bombs, and committing further billions to Israel.
But even now, as the campaign is at the finish line, pundits are pointing out the hypocrisy and contradictory messaging. She's been accused of saying one thing in front of Jewish voters, and another in front of Arab-American voters.
The New York Post explains:
Vice President Kamala Harris reportedly tailored her messaging to appeal to Jewish and Arab American voters in battleground states who can sway the election with contradictory ads that emphasize her position on Israel and Gaza.
The Harris campaign released multiple ads underscoring her commitment to Israel targeting undecided Jewish voters in Pennsylvania – while ads in Michigan aimed at the Arab American population express her solidarity with civilians in Gaza, CNN reported.
Facebook ads in the Keystone State feature a video of Harris’ Democratic National Committee speech, where she explains her support for Israel during the ongoing war in the Middle East – omitting two sections that also highlight the “human suffering” in Gaza.
"And let me be clear — I will always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself," Harris says in the ad.
This is not going to fly in Michigan, and so her weekend attempts to present a solution to the Gaza crisis fell flat with many, and is unlikely to sway large swathes of voters.
A lot of the Arab vote looks to go to Jill Stein...
Arab-Americans on MSNBC panel won't vote for Harris over Gaza genocide, with the majority choosing to vote for Jill Stein instead: "There's nothing she can do or say to change our minds." pic.twitter.com/fOkuLlPIZX
— HalalFlow (@halalflow) October 22, 2024
The Trump campaign has meanwhile been heavily reaching out to the Arab-American population this year, and has even opened a campaign headquarters in Hamtramck, Michigan in order to be a more visible presence among this demographic.