Kamala Harris Has a Chance to Do the Right Thing on Gaza

Vice President Kamala Harris, who inherits Biden’s bloody legacy along with his role as presumptive party nominee, now has a unique opportunity to set a new path for her party and the country. After months of unspeakable horrors, Democrats have a chance to show voters that they’re, once again, capable of doing what’s right by putting an end to Israel’s war on Gaza and securing a permanent and immediate cease-fire. Harris should use Netanyahu’s visit to publicly denounce Israel’s genocidal campaign and rally members of Congress to her cause. Privately, Harris needs to impress upon Biden that he alone is capable of ending the war by cutting off Israel’s main supply of weapons and intelligence.

Harris has previously expressed concern over the treatment of Palestinians. She said pro-Palestine protesters were “showing exactly what the human emotion should be” on Gaza, while cautioning that she didn’t agree with everything they had to say. In March 2024, Harris became the face of the administration’s escalating calls for a cease-fire—albeit one that was temporary and insufficient. So far, however, she has deviated from Biden in tone more than substance. Her record (thin on foreign policy experience) and past remarks on Israel suggest that she might be inclined to follow the administration’s current trajectory.

A majority of voters now disapprove of Biden’s handling of foreign policy issues. Seven in 10 likely voters support a permanent cease-fire and de-escalation of the conflict in Gaza, which risks metastasizing into a regional conflict. By throwing her support behind a cease-fire and a pause on weapons shipments, Harris can show voters she’s willing to meet them where they are: that she has seen the pictures and reports we have seen and continue to see on an ongoing basis. Without putting an end to the war, Democrats will have a hard time making the case that a greater evil exists in Trump and his party.