“Killer Kamala, sending bombs, killing children and their moms.”

Kamala Harris’s nomination as the new Democratic Party Presidential candidate has impacted all aspects of US politics, including the Palestine solidarity movement. Should the movement continue its militant opposition to the Democratic Party now that Harris is the nominee? The purpose of this article is to argue that, despite secondary differences in tone, Harris’s position on the Israeli war in Gaza is fundamentally the same as Joe Bidens and that the movement should stay in the streets marching against both the parties of US capitalism.

Is Harris different?

A wing of the movement has begun to argue that Harris is different from Biden and that we should be more open to her. As Politico recently reported, James Zogby, a prominent figure in both the Democratic Party and Palestinian American politics,

contended that Harris’ candidacy has given them their best shot at shifting U.S. policy, blasting those still pushing to hold large-scale protests at the Democratic convention as “infantile” and short-sighted.

“There are some who will want to manifest the anger just because it feels good, but it’s going to distract from what is really the concern,” he said. “Basically, don’t fuck it up.”

Two leaders of the Uncommitted movement have appeared on Amy Goodman’s Democracy Now program. They are obviously strong supporters of the Palestinian struggle. On August 7, Asma Mohammed, a Minnesota Uncommitted leader said, “we do want to meet with the vice president, because she has shown a willingness to learn and to move.” She went on to say, “…Kamala Harris is different.”

On August 9, Layla Elabed, Co-Chair of the Uncommitted National Movement appeared on the program. She described an encounter she had had with Harris.

In that brief, very brief exchange — I mean, it was only just a few minutes long — like I said, I was very emotional. And I was facing directly towards Vice President Harris. And, you know, she was very comforting. She was very sympathetic and empathetic. And she nodded to what I — everything that I was saying. You know, when I mentioned that our community members are losing tens of hundreds of their family members, she said, “It’s horrific.” And when I said, “Will you meet with us to talk about an arms embargo?” she said, “Yes, we’ll meet with you,” and directed me towards some of her staff, that we later on got to briefly exchange so we can have this open window or open door to figure out, you know, what are the next steps to actually having an official sit-down meeting.

Neither of these two activists endorsed Harris, but they did see her as more empathetic and open to the Palestinian cause.

What does Harris actually say about Palestine?

The question now becomes is there any material evidence to back up these activists’ hopes? Phil Gordon, Harris’s National Security Advisor, didn’t want any ambiguity after Elabed’s conversation with Harris became public. He rapidly tweeted, “@VP has been clear: she will always ensure Israel is able to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups. She does not support an arms embargo on Israel. She will continue to work to protect civilians in Gaza and to uphold international humanitarian law.” Not much room for doubt here.

In fact, Harris has been a strong supporter of the Israeli state for a long time. A 2017 speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee gives us a good window into her opinions. It’s worth quoting at length.

First, defense. In the midst of uncertainty and turmoil, America’s support for Israel’s security must be rock-solid.

And as Iran continues to launch ballistic missiles while it arms and funds its terrorist proxy Hezbollah, we must stand with Israel.

As Hamas maintains its control of Gaza and fires rockets across Israel’s southern border, we must stand with Israel.

And as ISIS and civil war in Syria destabilize the region, displacing millions and threatening shared security interests, we must support all those affected by ongoing violence and terror, and we must stand with Israel.

Our defense relationship is critical to both nations, which is why I support the United States’ commitment to provide Israel with $38 billion in military assistance over the next decade.

It is why I support full funding for Israel, including for the Arrow, David’s Sling and the Iron Dome missile defense systems, which save lives, and that’s why I am fully committing to maintaining Israel’s qualitative military edge.

Critical comment and tone

But hasn’t Harris made comments critical of Netanyahu, talked about Palestinian suffering, and spoken of the need for a cease-fire? She certainly has. There are two main reasons for this. First, we should remember that Joe Biden has said the exact same things on many occasions. This is because the interests of US imperialism are not totally identical to those of the Netanyahu government.

While fundamentally committed to the Israeli state, US imperialism has its own irons in the fire. It wishes good relations with the Saudis and the Gulf states. It wants general stability in the crucial oil-producing region. It wants to maintain a certain image in world politics. Netanyahu’s brutal rampage in Gaza threatens these things. So, America’s close ally sometimes needs to be reined in. This doesn’t mean that support for Israel isn’t a fundamental pillar of US foreign policy. It means that, at times, Israel’s action makes that support harder to carry out. This is why US leaders will sometimes make critical comments on Israel’s actions. These comments have nothing to do with basic policy changes or support for the Palestinians.

Secondly, Harris is obviously a much more vigorous and effective campaigner than Joe Biden. (Something that’s not setting the bar very high!) Of course, she will be courteous and attentive to an upset person whose support would be politically advantageous to her. Saying set up a meeting with my secretary is one of the oldest political evasions in the book. So, we really can’t think that her brief conversion with Layla Elabed represents any great movement on Harris’s part.

Kamala Harris’s interaction with Palestinian protestors at the exact same August 7 Romulus rally where she spoke with Laya Elabed is instructive. Harris’s campaign and the media has made a big deal of how she faced down some pro-Palestinian hecklers saying, “If you want Donald Trump to win, then say that.” This rebuff coupled with an angry scowl is seen as a sign of her strength and ability to withstand pressure. The subtext is that this is how she would handle Trump in a debate.

Harris has actually been making hay out of her hostility to the young activists at the rally. (Why being rude to a small group of demonstrators when you’re in the midst of a huge, very supportive audience and surrounded by scores of armed guards is a sign of great bravery is beyond me!)

Road forward

The reality is that there is no evidence, no serious reason, to believe that Kamala Harris will have a better or different approach to Palestine than Joe Biden. Fortunately, large sections of the movement understand this very clearly. The Chicago Coalition for Justice in Palestine, one of whose chants is the title for this article, as always, leads the way. Their latest statement shows the road forward for the whole movement and is a good way to end this article.

The Chicago Coalition for Justice in Palestine (CJP) reminds our community and our supporters that we will march on the DNC from Monday, August 19th, through Thursday, August 22nd — with the Wednesday, August 21st, march and rally at Union Park being led by CJP — regardless of the Democratic Party’s nominees, and even if a ceasefire is reached in Gaza.

Kamala Harris, as Vice President, has been in lockstep with Genocide Joe Biden for the entire 10 months of genocide against our people in Palestine. It is the administration that she serves as Vice President that sends unprecedented military support and weapons to Israel to carry out its massacres of the Palestinian people of Gaza, which have resulted in over 40,000 killed, more than 100,000 injured, and two million displaced.

It is the administration that Harris serves as Vice President that vetoed numerous UN Security Council resolutions calling for a ceasefire and condemning Israel’s massacres and violations of international law.

News that a ceasefire deal may be in the works does not change the 10 months of genocide that the Democratic Party aided and abetted unconditionally, ignoring so-called “red lines” and allowing Israel to wantonly kill. It does not change our core demands that the U.S. needs to force Israel to stop the genocide in Gaza NOW, and to stop funding and providing aid to the genocidal Israeli state.

On August 21st and the entire week, we will raise these demands at the doorstep of the Democratic National Convention, and we need you all to join us.