Harris tells anti-Israel hecklers to be quiet unless they ‘want Donald Trump to win’
Before Detroit rally, Democratic candidate meets ‘uncommitted’ vote organizers who claim she indicated openness to discussing Israel arms embargo; VP’s aide: she opposes idea
Democratic US presidential candidate President Kamala Harris told a group chanting about the “genocide” in Gaza at her election rally in Michigan Wednesday to quiet down unless they “want Donald Trump to win.”
Before the Detroit rally, she met briefly in a photo line with the founders of the Uncommitted National Movement, which led a mass protest vote in the Democratic Party primaries over US President Joe Biden’s support for Israel in the war against Hamas.
Anti-Israel protesters at the rally chanted, “Kamala, you can’t hide, we won’t vote for genocide.”
“I am here because I believe in democracy and everybody’s voice matters,” the vice president said to applause. “But I am speaking now.”
When the chanting continued, Harris said, “If you want Donald Trump to win, then say that. Otherwise, I’m speaking.”
The audience then chanted in support of her: “We’re not going back! We’re not going back!”
Harris to protesters repeatedly heckling at Michigan rally (about Gaza war):
“Everyone’s voice matters. But I am speaking now…
“You know what? If you want Donald Trump to win say that. Otherwise, I’m speaking.” pic.twitter.com/oitlBMZi5J
— Jacob N. Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) August 8, 2024
The war in Gaza strikes at the heart of parts of suburban Detroit — notably Dearborn, which has the highest per capita Arab American population of any town in the United States.
The suburb forms part of the congressional district of Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib, the first Palestinian American member of the US Congress, who has said that voters “won’t forget” Biden’s support for the “genocide.”
Tlaib was among the Democratic officials who supported the campaign to secure a large “uncommitted” vote in the Democratic primary in Michigan in February when Biden was still the candidate. The campaign secured large vote tallies elsewhere too, including Wisconsin, Michigan’s neighbor and fellow swing state.
Before the rally, Uncommitted co-founders Abbas Alawieh and Layla Elabed waited in line for a photo with Harris along with hundreds of other people. The far-left group issued a press release afterward saying that during their brief conversation with Harris in the line the vice president expressed openness to discussing their call for an Israel arms embargo and directed her staff to be in touch with the pair.
The New York Times reported the press release at face value and without attribution, instantly sparking a storm.
Harris’s campaign subsequently issued a statement that made no mention of Harris’s willingness to consider an arms embargo.
“Since October 7, the vice president has prioritized engaging with Arab, Muslim, and Palestinian community members and others regarding the war in Gaza,” the statement said.
“In this brief engagement, she reaffirmed that her campaign will continue to engage with those communities. The vice president has been clear: she will always work to ensure Israel is able to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups. The vice president is focused on securing the ceasefire and hostage deal currently on the table.”
On Thursday morning, Harris’s national security adviser Phil Gordon issued a more definitive statement saying that Harris opposes an Israel arms embargo.
“Vice President Harris 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,” Gordon tweeted.
The “uncommitted” leaders have asked that a representative of their campaign and a Palestinian pediatrician be given speaking slots at the Democratic Party’s National Convention in Chicago, which begins on August 19. The campaign has secured 30 “uncommitted” delegates to the convention.
Some 100,000 Michigan residents voted “uncommitted” in the state’s February primary. Biden won the state by about 154,000 votes in the 2020 presidential election, four years after Trump won it by roughly 10,000.
Over 310,000 Michigan residents are of Middle Eastern or North African ancestry, and nearly half of the Detroit suburb of Dearborn’s roughly 110,000 residents claim Arab ancestry.
Harris’s choice of Walz for running mate Sunday signaled a renewed push to win midwestern votes, though the progressive governor’s views on the Israel-Hamas war remain unclear.
He was selected after the Democratic Party’s left flank waged a fierce campaign against the selection of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Jewish centrist with a pro-Israel record, who was considered a front-runner for Harris’s running mate.
The Harris campaign pushed back against claims — promoted, among others, by the Trump ticket — that it had caved to the leftwing effort.
“Assertions that Vice President Harris did not select Gov. Shapiro based on his religion or views on Israel are absolutely ridiculous and offensive,” it said in a statement to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, adding that Harris “has an unwavering commitment to Israel’s security.”
The US vice president has struck a different tone on the Israel-Hamas war from Biden, who withdrew from the presidential race on July 21. After meeting at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on July 25, Harris said she “will not be silent” on Palestinian suffering. The comment drew a complaint from a top Israeli official who accused her of emboldening Hamas.
