Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign released a statement Wednesday evening retracting her earlier statement that she was willing to discuss an arms embargo on Israel in exchange for votes in Michigan.
Breitbart News reported:
Vice President Kamala Harris suggested Wednesday that she would be willing to negotiate an arms embargo against Israel in exchange for support for the so-called “unfettered” Muslim and Arab movement in Michigan.
of The New York Times report:
Before the rally in Detroit, Vice President Kamala Harris met briefly with co-founders of the Unfettered Citizens Movement, which mobilized tens of thousands of Michigan voters to refrain from voting for President Biden because of their support for Israel’s war on Gaza earlier this year. Abbas Alawieh and Laila Elabed, who were in the welcoming line for Harris and Governor Walz, said they told Harris they would like to support her but that their constituents want her to consider an arms embargo to immediately stop the carnage in the besieged enclave.
Harris heard from Michiganders who had lost dozens of family members in Gaza. The leaders asked to meet with her about the embargo request, and she agreed, introducing them to her staff.
Harris was later heckled by pro-Palestinian protesters during her speech.
Harris’ pro-embargo stance is just the latest example of her anti-Israel policy shift: In March, she appeared to break with President Joe Biden by calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and earlier this week, she deferred to anti-Israel Democrats who oppose her by not nominating Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, who is Jewish.
In an attempt to defuse the controversy, the Harris campaign released a statement Wednesday night:via Yashar Ali):
Since October 7, the Vice President has prioritized dialogue with members of the Arab, Muslim and Palestinian communities and others regarding the Gaza war. In this brief dialogue, she reaffirmed that her campaign will continue to engage with these communities. The Vice President has made it clear that she will always work to ensure that Israel can defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups. The Vice President is focused on securing a ceasefire and hostage agreement currently under negotiation. As she stated, now is the time to end this war. Israel will be safe, the hostages will be freed, the suffering of Palestinian civilians will end, and the Palestinian people will be able to realize their right to dignity, freedom and self-determination.
The statement did not specify whether all the hostages would be released, Hamas would disarm or relinquish power in the Gaza Strip.
The fact that Ms. Harris’s impromptu remarks to anti-Israel activists have caused some headaches for the campaign may further strengthen why her advisers are reluctant to allow her to speak unscripted to reporters and the public.
It’s been 18 days since she announced her candidacy for the 2024 presidential election, but she has so far refused to give interviews or press conferences.
update: Asked about the Harris campaign’s statement, Israeli government spokesman David Mensah declined to comment, citing the principle of noninterference in domestic politics during elections. He stressed the importance of US support for Israel being bipartisan. “We have so many common values in this country, no matter what party is in power,” Mensah said. He added that Iran threatens both Israel and the US.
Joel B. Pollack is executive editor of Breitbart News. Breitbart News Sunday The show airs Sunday nights from 7 to 10 p.m. (4 to 7 p.m. ET) on SiriusXM Patriot. He is the author of “Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days,” which is available for preorder on Amazon. He also wrote,Trumpian virtue: The lessons and legacy of Donald Trump’s presidency” is available on Audible. He is the 2018 recipient of the Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter. Joel Pollack.
