During a recent campaign stop at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Vice President Kamala Harris found herself in the midst of a heated exchange with a protester who accused Israel of committing 'genocide.' The incident occurred on Thursday as Harris was addressing the crowd. A student, identified as a supporter of Hamas, interrupted her speech, leading to a tense moment captured on video.
'I am so invested in you all, in every way,' Harris responded as the interruption began. The protester, wearing a keffiyeh, shouted, 'And in genocide right? Billions of dollars in genocide. Billions of dollars in genocide.' Despite murmurs from the crowd urging silence, the protester continued, demanding to know why Harris wouldn't acknowledge the alleged genocide.
Harris, maintaining her composure, replied, 'I know what you're speaking of. I want the ceasefire. I want the war to end. And I respect your right to speak but I am speaking right now.' The protester, undeterred, was eventually escorted out of the hall, yelling, '19,000 children are dead, and you won't call it a genocide.'
In the aftermath, Harris addressed the audience, acknowledging the seriousness of the protester's claims. 'Listen, what he's talking about, it's real. That's not the subject that I came to discuss today, but it's real and I respect his voice,' she said. This marked a departure from her previous stance, as she had never before suggested that Israel's actions in Gaza constituted genocide.
David Friedman, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel, criticized Harris' response, stating, 'Kamala Harris just publicly validated the false and vicious accusation that Israel is engaging in genocide.' He further argued that her views were 'as ignorant as they are malign,' and that her endorsement of such a 'disgusting blood libel disqualifies Harris from holding any public office, let alone the presidency.'
The event, held at the school's Lubar Entrepreneurship Center, was closed to journalists, but footage of the exchange was later shared online. Harris' visit to the campus also saw her motorcade greeted by pro-Hamas protesters, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The protester involved in the confrontation was linked to the group UW-Milwaukee Popular University for Palestine Coalition, which documented the incident on their Instagram page.
This incident comes amid growing concerns among Jewish voters, with polls indicating a decline in support for the Democratic party. Harris' comments, seemingly endorsing the notion that Israel is committing genocide, were made just a day after the country targeted Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. A Harris campaign official later clarified that her views did not reflect those of the Biden-Harris Administration.
Source link: https://nypost.com
