Kamala Harris and Israel

I was not happy that both VP Kamala Harris and Republican VP candidate J.D. Vance failed to attend the speech given by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to a joint meeting of Congress on July 24.  Harris' absence was more significant, as she would have jointly presided over the meeting with House Speaker Mike Johnson.  And, Harris is a nominee for president, not vice president.  Axios estimated that approximately half of the Democrats in Congress (the House and Senate) failed to attend the speech.  Shameful!  Israel is our major ally in the Middle East, and one of our best allies in the world, and is in a fight for its existence.  Yet all those Democrats couldn't be bothered to attend?  Well, Harris did have to speak at a sorority convention, which of course takes precedence over NOTHING!

Harris did meet with Netanyahu the next day, after which she spoke to the press from previously written remarks.  I will say, she has learned how to read her speeches without her previous unserious demeanor.  And without the ridiculous laughter.  Harris:  "I also expressed with the Prime Minister, my serious concern about the scale of human suffering in Gaza.  Including the death of far too many innocent civilians.  And I made clear my serious concern about the dire humanitarian situation there."

If she had bothered to attend Netanyahu's speech, she would have heard him say that Israel has allowed over 40,000 aid trucks to enter Gaza, delivering half a million tons of food.  According to Netanyahu, that amounts to over 3000 calories a day for every man, woman and child in Gaza.  Except, of course, that we don't know how much Hamas steals and gives to their own leaders and fighters.

Harris:  "The images of dead children, and desperate hungry people fleeing for safety...We cannot look away in the face of these tragedies.  We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering and I will not be silent."  If that's the best you've got, Madam VP, I wish you would shut up.  Yes, war is terrible.  Yes, images of dead children are especially heart wrenching.  But I think we can all be grateful that you were not leading the country during WWII.  I can only imagine how much you would have fretted over the deaths of Germans.  Would you have told Eisenhower to stand down, because too many Germans might die?  I won't even discuss the bombing of Dresden. 

After saying there was a deal on the table, Harris said this:  "It is time for this war to end.  And end in a way where Israel is secure, all the hostages are released, the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can exercise their right to freedom, dignity and self-determination."  Is it time for the war to end before Hamas is eradicated?  Or, do we let Hamas remain in power, even though they have promised to commit another October 7 type raid on Israel over and over and over again?  

How will you make sure Israel is secure, Madam VP?  How will you make sure all the hostages are released?  Did you ever talk about the suffering of Palestinians before October 7, having to live under the dictatorial rule of Hamas?  Because, in your speech you told Israel what it must do.  What must Hamas do?  It would have been nice if you said Hamas must lay down its arms and agree to an unconditional surrender.  But I guess not.  

With a rather strident tone, Harris admonished Netanyahu:  "It is time to get this deal done!"  And:  "To everyone who yearns for peace, I see you and I hear you...And ultimately, I remain committed to a path forward that can lead to a two state solution."  You think that the Israelis don't yearn for peace.  In their short 76 years since declaring independence, Israel has had to fight war after war after war.  Since this current war began on October 7, 2023, it is estimated that up to 100,000 Israelis have been displaced from their homes, some in the North (because of Hezbollah's missiles, thousands of which have been launched since October 8) and some in the South (since Hamas invaded Israel).  Where is your sympathy for that humanitarian crisis?  

Madam Vice President, either you are incredibly naive, or you believe that the bad guys of the world should be appeased.  Which is what Obama and Biden believe.  Maybe you ought to take a lesson from Winston Churchill.  Recall the Munich Agreement, when in 1938 British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain agreed that Germany could take over the Sudetenland.  In believing he had avoided war, Chamberlain returned to England and announced "peace for our time."  But Churchill knew better:  "You were given the choice between war and dishonor.  You chose dishonor, and you will have war."  Which is exactly what Biden's and your appeasement of Iran has accomplished.  War.