As the United States sees a rise in antisemitism, one major Jewish group is warning that Jewish people will face a lifetime of hate under a Kamala Harris presidency.
The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) criticized Harris’ “weak condemnation” of anti-Israel protests that ignited this week during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's congressional address in Washington.
Critics of Harris’ stance regarding the Israel-Hamas war have sparked fury among those in the Jewish community. They pointed to her March 3 speech in which she called for an “immediate ceasefire,” accusing her of being a slave to the progressive left-- which they say sympathizes more with Palestinians.
“If you thought Joe Biden was bad on issues of top concern for pro-Israel voters, Kamala Harris is far worse," national political director of RJC Sam Markstein said.
This comes when Harris seeks to be the Democratic nominee after President Joe Biden was forced out of the 2024 race. However, her lack of sympathy for the Jewish community will make it difficult for her to secure votes.
David Friedman, who served as ambassador to Israel under the Trump Administration, pointed out that Biden made several mistakes during his presidency but was “miles ahead of Harris in terms of support for Israel.”
A former Jewish staffer who quit the Biden Administration over its Israel-Hamas stance said that Harris was the first person in the administration to use the word "ceasefire."
“It took her a full day to issue a weak condemnation of the pro-Hamas mobs that burned American flags and chanted vile antisemitic slogans at Jews in Washington, D.C. – with zero mention of any concrete action she would take to hold them accountable. It should be easy to condemn antisemitism – the real question is what she will do to confront it, and her statement speaks for itself. Clearly, her priorities are not our priorities – and if elected, we can expect more of the same,” Markstein said.
On Thursday, Harris condemned the Israeli government for killing “far too many” civilians in the Gaza Strip despite vowing her “unwavering” support for the Jewish state.
“What has happened in Gaza over the past nine months is devastating — the images of dead children and desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety, sometimes displaced for the second, third or fourth time,” Harris said, arguing that the conflict was not a “binary issue” despite the U.S. supporting Israel for decades.
After meeting with Netanyahu, Harris held a different approach to the conflict, saying, “Israel has a right to defend itself, and how it does so matters.”
“It is time for this war to end and end in a way where Israel is secure, all the hostages are released, the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can exercise their right to freedom, dignity, and self-determination,” she said. “So to everyone who has been calling for a cease-fire and to everyone who yearns for peace, I see you, and I hear you.”
Democrats are hopeful a Harris ticket will win back Arab and Muslim voters who abandoned Biden over his pro-Israel stance.