Supporters of Israel: Disliking Trump Doesn’t Mean Voting for Harris

This week, Americans will have cast their votes for the next president of the United States. The 2024 election may have been the most controversial one in our history. Polls show both candidates are about even in votes, causing the nation to be more divided than ever. Many strongly dislike aspects of both candidates, but at some point, we have to set our petty dislike aside and focus on the more significant issues that directly affect us.

Israel now faces a significant conflict between Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis, and Iran. The United States is directly involved in the conflict in the Middle East, but the country has faced criticism for its handling of the situation. Under the Biden/Harris administration, Israel has faced bigoted and unnecessary pressure from the United States. The importance of Israel for the security and stability of the United States is unmeasurable, along with the significance the state holds for Jews around the world.  As a proud American Jew who firmly supports Israel’s right to exist, voting for the Democratic nominee, Kamala Harris, would be a fundamentally wrong decision.

On May 8th, 2018, former President Donald Trump announced the United States would withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, also known as the Nuclear Deal. The ‘treaty’ was an agreement reached in 2015 between Iran and world powers (including the U.S., U.K., France, China, Russia, and Germany) to limit Iran’s nuclear capabilities in exchange for lifting economic sanctions.

While the Nuclear Deal seems like the perfect plan of action for dealing with the nuclear threat Iran poses, it did not even seek to end the nuclear programs in Iran; instead, the goal was just to slow them down. The deal ended all restrictions on Iran in 2025 while still upholding the promise to lift any economic sanctions. In addition, the JCPA handed Iran over $150 billion in assets previously seized by the United States.

While $150 billion is an enormous sum of money, if Iran ended its Nuclear Program or at least faced regulation over it, the JCPA would be reasonable. Yet, the deal did not even allow for inspections of Iran’s Nuclear Facilities unless permission was given by Iran previously. There was quite literally nothing that prevented Iran from hiding any nuclear weapons and then giving permission for inspections of nuclear facilities. The military bases were off-limits from inspections, which made them perfect environments for weaponry production.

Under the 2015 deal, Iran continued its ballistic missile development, and in 2018, Israel released a 55,000-page report showcasing Iran’s repeated violations of its agreement to limit nuclear activities. This evidence fueled Trump’s decision to withdraw the U.S. from the deal on May 8th, 2018, arguing that it was fundamentally flawed in allowing Iran to evade restrictions and pursue ballistic missile capabilities.

The Nuclear Deal was an apparent failure, yet Harris supported it and even sought to recreate the deal for years. After the recent attacks from Iran and the ongoing war between Israel and Iran’s proxies, Hezbollah, The Houthis, and Hamas, a Similar nuclear deal would enrich Iran, and therefore its proxies, causing significant harm to the safety and security of Israel. Without a doubt, the JCPA enriched Iran and its proxies, eventually allowing for the horrid Oct. 7th attacks.

The financial support that Vice President Kamala Harris has backed for Iran and its proxies extends beyond the nuclear deal. In her role as Vice President, Harris has overseen over $1 billion in aid directed to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), an organization under the United Nations umbrella that has proven connections with terrorists, some of whom took part in the attacks on Oct. 7th.

This funding marked a shift from the approach of the Trump administration, which halted financial assistance to UNRWA due to significant evidence linking its personnel to terrorist activities. Terrorists must not receive money from the United States. Yet, Harris seemed to ignore the fact that UNRWA consisted of terrorists and instead sent $122 million to UNRWA after the horrific Oct. 7th attacks took place, which were carried out by UNRWA agents.

“Teachers and schools at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, which runs education and social services for Palestinians, regularly call to murder Jews, and create teaching materials that glorify terrorism, encourage martyrdom, demonize Israelis and incite antisemitism,” said Neuer, the Executive Director of UN Watch.

Even after acknowledging the role UNRWA agents played in the Oct. 7th attacks, the Biden/Harris administration still supports giving UNRWA terrorist agents complete immunity from prosecution. In a lawsuit filed by the victims of the Oct. 7th massacre, UNRWA is accused of having operated a money laundering scheme for the benefit of Hamas.

“The plaintiff’s complaint does not present a legal basis for claiming that the United Nations waived its immunity,” the Department of Justice said.

Directed by the Biden/Harris administration, the Department of Justice sided with providing UNRWA terrorist agents complete immunity. The world body has the power to waive the immunity rights of the United Nations, so why has Harris not done so?

Harris’s comments towards Israel have been nothing short of bigoted and wrong. At the UN Climate Summit in Dubai, Harris called on Israel to do more to protect civilians in Gaza from the “devastating” war.

The government of Israel has done everything necessary to provide needed aid to civilians in Gaza. Since Oct. 7th, Gaza has received more than 1 million tons of humanitarian assistance, allowed in by Israel. The United Nations even published a report proving the absence of famine in Gaza. Harris invited Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a self-proclaimed activist for the alleged humanitarian crisis in Gaza, to deliver a prime-time address at the Democratic National Convention. This raises the question of why Harris would endorse a narrative that is so misleading and prejudiced toward Israel.

Recently, pressure on Israel to temper its response to Iran, coupled with the leak of classified information related to Israel’s defensive actions, highlighted a deepening divide between the current U.S. administration and one of its closest allies. Harris recently refused to clarify her stance on the United States’ alliance with Prime Minister Netanyahu, raising concerns about the administration’s commitment to supporting Israel in times of crisis.

This lack of support is not new; when Netanyahu addressed Congress, Nancy Pelosi, a critical Democratic figure and former Speaker of the House, called his speech “by far the worst presentation by any foreign dignitary.”

Such statements, especially during times of heightened conflict, send a troubling message to Israel and its supporters. At the time of Netanyahu’s address, nearly half of the Democratic Congress members—including Harris—boycotted the event. While the Constitution designates the Vice President as the President of the Senate, Harris opted not to attend, signaling a lack of care for Israel’s critical alliance with the United States. This series of actions should give Jewish and pro-Israel voters an easier time as they consider which candidate is truly committed to standing by Israel.

When confronted by a protester who falsely accused Israel of genocide and claimed it had killed 19,000 innocent children, Vice President Harris acknowledged the protester’s remarks as valid. It remains unclear whether Harris addressed the genocide accusation or the death toll claim specifically; however, both assertions are unfounded and unjustly defame Israel.

Most recently, the Harris/Walz campaign was exposed for sponsoring ads with different messages in different states. Both Michigan and Pennsylvania are key battleground states in the 2024 election. Michigan has a notably sizable Muslim community, while Pennsylvania is home to a significant Jewish population.

In a Pennsylvania campaign ad, Harris projects firm support for Israel, stating, “And let me be clear—I will always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself,” and adding, “I will never hesitate to take whatever action is necessary to defend our forces and our interests against Iran and Iran-backed terrorists.”

However, Harris’s message in a Michigan ad is strikingly different: “What has happened in Gaza over the past nine months is devastating,” she says, adding, “We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering, and I will not be silent.”

This contrast undoubtedly reflects Harris’s stance on the Israel/Hamas war: an opportunity to gain votes. Harris has no issue comprising her advocacy for Israel if it means gaining support.

Numerous instances are demonstrating that Kamala Harris is not committed to supporting Israel. The Democratic Party has previously blocked arms sales to Israel, and Harris is likely to follow suit. While there may be concerns about Donald Trump on other policy fronts, support for Israel is non-negotiable. I urge you to consider how much Trump’s 2016-2020 presidency truly impacted your life. In contrast, Harris’s lack of support for Israel will have lasting consequences.

The United States/Israel alliance is essential for the prosperity of both nations. As a Jew, Israel is my second home; as an American, I view Israel as critical to our national security and stability. I cannot back a candidate willing to compromise their support for Israel simply to gain votes.