Since she emerged as the Democratic presidential nominee after Joe Biden dropped out of the race, Kamala Harris has expressed more sympathy for Palestinians than the president she is hoping to replace. But so far, Harris has made clear that she won’t deviate from Biden’s core policy on the Gaza war: unconditional US support for Israel and its prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, no matter what he does to block a ceasefire and prolong the conflict.
“I’m unequivocal and unwavering in my commitment to Israel’s defense and its ability to defend itself,” Harris told CNN on 29 August, in her first major TV interview since securing the nomination. She added: “Far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed.” These comments reinforced her acceptance speech at the Democratic national convention a week earlier, where she pledged to “always stand up for Israel” and also called for Palestinian “freedom and self-determination”.
