Kamala Harris Is a Fresh Start For the Democrats And Snubbing Netanyahu (Not Israel) Is the Absolute Right First Move
Front page of the New York Post on Wednesday, July 24.
As Vice President Kamala Harris embarks on her first full week as the Democratic Party’s presumed nominee for president two narratives are already emerging on the right to attack her: She is both stuck running on President Joe Biden’s record, and at the same time will betray Israel as president.
“Israel Left Behind” blared the cover of the New York Post on Wednesday with a sub-headline that added, “Goodwin: Dems shamefully shun ally.” While Israel has been an easy topic for the right to divide Democrats on in recent months (a political liability of the Democrats’ own making), the right’s desire to portray Harris as anti-Israel also clearly separates her from Biden – even if in reality they largely share the same policies on the issue.
Harris, who presides over the senate, raised the ire of Republicans and Israeli officials by announcing she would skip Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress this week, but would meet with him privately. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) called Harris’s “snub” of Netanyahu “petty and disrespectful” on X, while Israeli officials told the Telegraph that Harris appeared “unable to distinguish between good and evil” and that it was “not a way to treat an ally.”
Ironically, Cornyn is helping to put daylight between Harris and Biden at a moment when the GOP wants to do everything it can to tie them together, especially on issues like immigration, the economy, and, yes, foreign policy. Semafor reported on Tuesday that a Democratic pollster found voters do not attribute the Biden economy to Harris. “The upside for Harris is huge: voters do not hold her accountable for Biden’s perceived failures on inflation, and she can run hard on economic messaging,” said Blueprint lead pollster Evan Roth Smith.
In a change election where voters have been overwhelmingly unhappy with their choices, Harris being able to start fresh, even if as Roth Smith found she is still tied to Biden’s record on immigration and seen by many as too liberal, will be the key to her success. Taking a strong stance against Netanyahu is a great first step to shake off any stench of incumbency left on her by the Biden administration – especially as Netanyahu, unlike other world leaders, has long interjected himself into U.S. politics and therefore left himself wide open to criticism.
Moreover, Netanyahu isn’t Israel. In fact, he remains deeply unpopular domestically as there are loud and growing calls for him to resign over the security failures surrounding October 7th, the ongoing brutal conflict that has yet to see all the hostages returned, and a deteriorating situation in the north of the country. What’s more, he has long been a hyper-partisan figure in U.S. politics, meddling to advance his own personal political fortunes while undermining the Biden administration at every turn.
Netanyahu’s last address to Congress was also designed as a wedge to divide America: he used it to rail against then-President Barack Obama’s Iran nuclear deal. He has explicitly supported Republican candidates for president from Mitt Romney to Donald Trump. Netanyahu, who shares a pollster with Trump, put up billboards across Israel during his own reelection bid with images of him and Trump shaking hands and smiling.
While Biden has privately slammed Netanyahu, he has embraced a more traditional approach to the conflict and refused to publicly put any distance between himself and the Israeli leader – which has certainly come at a political price at home. Harris, while continuing to support Biden’s policies on Israel, is in a position to make clear that while she supports Israel, she believes that getting tough on Netanyahu is in everyone’s interest.
Harris now has an opportunity to thread the needle on the current conflict in a way that Biden never could, by articulating that being anti-Netanyahu is, in her view, the best way to be pro-Israel. Netanyahu’s crumbling support at home and his apparent lack of a plan for how to end the Israeli operation in Gaza and determine what happens next in the Strip have all opened the door for Harris to make the case that supporting Israel’s defense and Netanyahu is not the same thing.
Harris will still have to manage her left flank as she draws back in those Democrats critical of Biden’s staunch support for Israel. Congressional Progressive Caucus chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) told MSNBC’s Joy Reid this week that Harris “has a deep empathy for the situation of Palestinian Americans” adding that “it’s more natural to her.” Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) took to X on Tuesday and declared “Netanyahu is a war criminal committing genocide against the Palestinian people” and that his invitation to Congress was “disgraceful” – a rhetorical gift to the GOP that Harris will have to navigate.
Trump has made clear his desire to quickly end the violence in the Middle East, but as usual, has not offered any details as to a plan. Harris can stick to Biden’s pro-Israel policies, his team’s push to quickly negotiate a ceasefire in exchange for all the hostages, and publicly oppose Netanyahu all at the same time. It’s a perfect recipe for re-engaging young voters and moderates while not costing her support from pro-Israel Democrats, who she will likely energize with her own VP pick as her shortlist, from Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) to Gov. Josh Shapiro to Gov. Andy Beshear is comprised entirely of moderates.
This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.
