Some voters from key battleground states like North Carolina, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania say they want to see a public commitment from Vice President Kamala Harris to take action on Israel’s war in Gaza before they decide to vote for her.
Hala Ahmed: “There is nothing good about this election,” the Palestinian-American from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, told CNN, describing the familiar feeling of “shock and horror” she gets when she sees footage of people killed and places destroyed in Gaza.
Ahmed said she cannot guarantee her vote and support for the leaders until the arms embargo is secured or hostilities in Gaza end. “I feel more responsible for life — that basic sanctity of life — in this election,” she said. “The only way to function is to act from a ‘do what I can’ attitude, and if there is some hope, I have to act on that,” she added.
She said she takes the “dangers” of a potential Trump presidency “seriously,” but said there is “no practical alternative to genocide on the Democratic ticket” either.
Ahmed remains undecided about whether he will vote at all, “or I might vote third party, or maybe Harris will do what’s right.” Harris said if she loses the election, she will hold the vice president and the Democratic Party responsible for her loss.
Reem Abu Al-Haj: The Philadelphia resident said she plans to go to the polls and vote no, but “will not vote for Vice President Harris unless she publicly commits, at any time between now and November 5, to imposing an arms embargo on Israel or reaching a To a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.”
“I am a conscientious voter, and a candidate who vigorously promotes the policy of unconditionally arming and funding Israel to continue the genocide in Gaza, the escalation in the West Bank and the war in Lebanon is a red flag for me.” she said.
She told CNN that the case is “very personal” for her. The Palestinian American says she knows people who lost family members in Gaza over the past year, and she cannot vote for someone who belongs to an administration she considers responsible.
In a CNN town hall, Harris said she believes people who care about Gaza also care about reproductive freedom and grocery prices among other things, and might want to vote for her based on those issues.
Megan Watts: The Chapel Hill, North Carolina, resident said that the “weaponization” of these issues against her “shows how disconnected she feels from what people are really concerned about.”
“We should not have the choice of either accepting genocide in exchange for lower grocery prices or in exchange for lower rent,” the doctoral student said. “It is a terrible choice to be forced upon us.”
She said she would not vote for the presidency despite her fear that a second Trump term would encourage his “neo-fascist/neo-Nazi” supporters to “practice violence against marginalized communities.”
Candidates’ positions: Harris gave a powerful and concrete speech on the situation in Gaza in July, reiterating President Joe Biden’s repeated statements of “firm support” and “steadfast commitment” for Israel, as well as the need to free Israeli hostages. Return from Hamas captivity. She said the country has the right to defend itself, noting that “how it does so is important.” She cited the plight of people in Gaza, as well as the need to free Israeli hostages and secure a ceasefire, in her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in August. Read more about Harris’ position on the war here.
In the immediate aftermath of the Hamas attack on Israel, Trump criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his handling of the war, claiming on Fox News at the time that the prime minister and the country in general were “unprepared.” Many Israelis assume that Trump will give Netanyahu longer to use greater force in Gaza. Trump said that Israel must “finish what it started,” “finish it quickly,” and that the United States must “allow Israel to finish the job.” Read about Trump’s foreign policy positions here.
The post has been updated with more comments from interviewees reporting on the candidates’ positions.
