In Detroit on Wednesday, presidential hopeful Kamala Harris found herself repeatedly interrupted by Palestine protesters. A handful of people started chanting:
Kamala, Kamala you can’t hide! We won’t vote for genocide.
Harris responded with:
I’m here because we believe in democracy. Everyone’s voice matters, But I am speaking now. I am speaking now.
Everyone’s voice matters but shush a minute. Then, her expression hardening, she barked out:
If you want Donald Trump to win, then say that. Otherwise, I’m speaking.
What would Donald do?
What would it mean for Palestine if Donald Trump won, not Kamala Harris? Well, Trump has repeatedly described himself as “Israel’s best friend.” Then, in classically Trumpian fashion, Sleepy Don has also confused the issue, alternately calling for “peace” whilst claiming only he can keep “Israel safe.” Of course, nobody should be under the illusion that Trump remotely cares about Palestine whatsoever. As his own former security advisor John Bolton said:
I just think Trump is delusional on this point. It’s a point that nobody can refute or confirm one way or the other. He doesn’t have any idea what to do in the Middle East in this situation.
The only thing clear here is that Trump will always prioritise himself. It would take a hell of a lot to undo America’s staggering financial and political commitment to sustaining the settler colonial project that is Israel. When it comes to Trump, it’s hard to see him intervening on behalf of Palestinians, no matter what confused policy he blunders towards.
And Kamala Harris?
Well, Kamala Harris righteously told Palestine protestors to effectively put up and shut up. Or, they’d have to deal with Trump as president. Again, such is America’s apparently limitless support of Israel, that it’s difficult to see Harris decreasing funds to the genocidal nation. In fact, one of Harris’s aides, Phil Gordon, said:
She does not support an arms embargo on Israel.
He added that the vice president:
has been clear: she will always ensure Israel is able to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups.
In other words, Harris would not go so far as to pause the arms deals that prop up Israel. Whilst Joe Biden has backed Israel to the hilt, Harris has arguably been more critical of civilian casualties caused by Israel. She told Israeli butcher Benjamin Netanyahu that she would “not be silent.”
However, Harris’s words are to be taken with a bucket of salt. No American president will threaten America’s support for Israel, as they simply wouldn’t be voted in. And, for Harris to pretend that there is any real difference between her and Trump is typical of the neoliberal charade that Western elections have become.
What difference will it make to Palestinian men, women, and children if the bombs that rain down upon their heads bear a Democrat name or a Republican one?
As always, Kamala Harris’s comments display the height of American arrogance. What’s the point of having the first female Black and Indian president if she follows the same white supremacist rulebook as her predecessors? Is it really a win for equality if a brown face is the one sanctioning the bombs?
