Take a look at the positions of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump on the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, the most fraught foreign policy issue facing the country that has spurred a multitude of protests around the US since it began last October.
Harris: After meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in late July, Harris gave a forceful and notable speech about the situation in Gaza. She echoed Joe Biden’s repeated comments about the “ironclad support” and “unwavering commitment” to Israel, as well as the need to get the Israeli hostages back from Hamas captivity. The country has a right to defend itself, she said, while noting, “how it does so, matters.”
However, the empathy she expressed regarding the Palestinian plight and suffering was far more forceful than what Biden has said on the matter in recent months. She went on to describe “the images of dead children and desperate hungry people fleeing for safety, sometimes displaced for the second, third or fourth time,” and said, “I will not be silent.”
The vice president continued calling out the plight of the people in Gaza, as well as the need to free the Israeli hostages and secure a ceasefire deal, in her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in August. Harris said that as president, she would maintain the US alliance with Israel and “ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself.”
Trump: The former president also met with Netanyahu in July, the first such meeting between the two men since Trump left the White House more than three years ago. Trump, who often claims he was the most pro-Israel president in modern history, once touted his close, personal relationship with Netanyahu. However, their relationship has soured in recent years, and the former president has been reluctant to speak with him throughout the ongoing conflict.
In the immediate aftermath of Hamas’ attack on Israel, Trump criticized Netanyahu for his handling of the war, claiming to Fox News at the time the prime minister and the country overall were “unprepared.”
Many Israelis presume that Trump would give Netanyahu a longer leash to use greater force in Gaza. Trump has said that Israel must “finish what they started,” “get it over with fast,” and that the US must “let Israel finish the job.”
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