Vice President Harris this week publicly agreed with protesters who interrupted her to accuse Israel of committing “genocide.”
The moment happened Thursday during a campaign stop at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. While the Democratic presidential candidate was speaking, pro-Hamas UWM students began shouting. A video of the exchange was shown.
“I'm so grateful to you all in every way,” Harris could be heard saying as the break began.
“And genocide, right?” said the heckler.
“Billion dollar genocide. Billion dollar genocide.”
Someone can be heard whispering “shut up” off camera, but the riot continued.
“I'm just speaking,” Harris said, launching into a well-worn response to similar interruptions.
“I know what you're talking about. I want a ceasefire. I want the war to end. I respect your right to speak, but I'm speaking now.”
“But what about genocide? What about genocide on the other hand?” shouted a keffiyeh-wearing protester.
The man was then led out of the hall screaming, “19,000 children died and you can't call this a genocide.”
In the silence that followed his exit, Harris turned to the audience.
“Listen, what he's talking about is real. That's not the subject I came to discuss today, but it's real and I respect his voice,” Harris said. Said.
The vice president has never suggested that Israel's defensive war in Gaza amounts to genocide against Palestinians.
“Kamala Harris has just publicly validated false and malicious accusations that Israel is committing genocide,” former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman told the Post on Saturday.
“A lot of people, including myself, always suspected that she had this distorted, anti-Semitic view about Israel's self-defense against the barbarism of Hamas. But the cat's in the bag now. ,” he added.
“Her views are as ignorant as they are malicious. …Giving credence to this disgusting blood libel in public would disqualify Ms. Harris from holding any public office, let alone the presidency.” ” he said.
The private event, held at the school's Loubar Entrepreneurship Center, was closed to journalists, but a video of the moment was posted online. When Harris arrived on campus, her motorcade was still met by pro-Hamas protesters. milwaukee journal sentinel Reported.
The heckler appeared to be affiliated with the Universities for Palestine Coalition and Milwaukee Popular Universities groups, which posted first-person accounts of the confrontation. on Friday to my Instagram page.
Harris' family has also publicly expressed their sympathies.
Harris' stepdaughter Ella Emhoff and niece Meena Harris raised money for the Palestinian cause.
Ella Emhoff's work included raising funds for the United Nations Relief Agency for Palestine, which the United States suspended over its staff's possible involvement in the October 7 attacks. Reduced funding.
The incident comes as Harris faces growing doubts from Jewish voters and polls suggest support for the Democratic Party is declining.
Harris' comments, which appeared to support the position that Israel is committing genocide, came just one day after Israel killed Hamas terrorist leader Yahya Sinwar.
“That is not the view of the Biden-Harris administration or the vice president,” a Harris campaign official said.
