Does Kamala Harris Know Where Her Voters Lie On the Israel-Hamas War?

Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz

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On Tuesday, September 10, the second presidential debate of the year took place in Philadelphia, with Donald Trump and Kamala Harris having a showdown for over 67 million viewers. Many issues were touched upon and discussed, from economic policy to domestic policy to abortion rights. While brief, a few questions regarding foreign policy were asked to the candidates, including questions about the current Israel and Hamas war—an ongoing issue that has been splitting voters.

Since Hamas attacked Israel last October, polarizing rhetoric and activism has gripped the world, especially in the United States. The Palestinian death toll (nearly 40,000) and the state of the hostages has been a particular subject of contention. Movements have emerged from both sides—such as “Free Palestine,” referring to freeing Palestinians from occupation under Israel, and “Bring Them Home,” referring to returning the hostages—thus further diverging people’s attitudes and opinions. Boycotts against companies like Starbucks and McDonald’s have become popular in attempts to both economically sanction and put pressure on large companies to take clear stances on the conflict. Hundreds of Pro-Palestinain protests have broken out since last October, calling for an immediate ceasefire deal to be signed and compelling politicians to push forward legislation that would de-escalate the conflict. Still, not much has been done. 

During the debate, Harris was asked about the approach she would take to break through the stalemate of this conflict and get Israeli and Palestinian officials to come to an agreement. Harris responded, “I say now, Israel has a right to defend itself…and how it does such matters. Because it is also true far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed…What we know is this war must end.” She then goes on to talk about negotiating a ceasefire deal and solidifying a two-state solution, but leaves the issue at that. Despite the prevalent concern about the conflict among young voters—a demographic that is traditionally left-leaning—Harris’s response was  very general, and likely a deliberate choice to not make the conflict a focal point of her foreign policy. In the end, less than five minutes were given to an issue that polarizes many potential blue voters. This demonstrates a more significant issue at hand: the Democratic Party choosing to neglect the importance their voters place on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  

In a poll taken in March of 2023 (prior to the October 7th attacks), Democratic voters have shown increasing affinity toward the Palestinians. Presently, their sympathies in the Middle East lie more with the Palestinians than the Israelis, 49% to 38% (Gallup). This shift has only heightened since the war started, visible especially through protests and the rise of encampments on college campuses. Just last spring, the Columbia University administration had the NYPD detain and take students into custody for setting up an encampment in the Hamilton Hall academic building. This sort of approach to handling responses to the conflict in the U.S. is one of the major things leaving voters up in the air, so the lack of depth in Harris’s response is frustrating for many. People are tired of general blanket statements and empty promises, which demonstrate the more significant issue of candidates “saying so much” yet “so little” in attempts to secure as many votes as possible before election day. It’s become clear that politicians are deliberately paying less attention to this vital issue, whether that be because of the (poor) handling of the conflict or its polarizing nature. 

A survey taken in May of this year (after October 7th) finds that a majority of U.S. likely voters continue to support a permanent ceasefire and humanitarian assistance in Gaza, with the specific breakdown being Democrats (83%), Independents (65%), and Republicans (56%). While voters are generally split on whether or not they believe Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, A majority of Democrats (56%) and a slight plurality of Independents (36%) say they believe Israel is responsible. However, these attitudes are not reflected in candidates from the Democratic Party, leaving voters conflicted. 

While the polls currently show Harris in the lead for the upcoming election, it does not dispel the irritation voters feel towards her shallow response—especially because the conflict is as prevalent as ever. It has almost been a year since the October 7th attacks, and little has been done by Biden’s administration in terms of negotiating a ceasefire. From the looks of it, voters’ sentiments about the conflict will not be a primary issue for the potential Harris administration either. 

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This article was edited by Kate Stover.