Vice President Kamala Harris lauded a college student during an event in Virginia last week, after the student accused Israel of “ethnic genocide”.
The incident occurred last Tuesday at George Mason University, during an event marking National Voter Registration Day.
In a question and answer segment, one student expressed her dismay over US aid to Saudi Arabia, as well as to Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system.
"I see that over the summer there have been, like, protests and demonstrations in astronomical numbers standing with Palestine,” the student said. “But then, just a few days ago, there were funds allocated to continue backing Israel, which hurts my heart, because it is an ethnic genocide and the displacement of people, the same that happened in America, and I’m sure that you’re aware of this.”
“Americans are struggling because of lack of health care, public health care, and affordable housing, and all this money ends up going to inflaming Israel and backing Saudi Arabia and whatnot. I think that the people have spoken very often in what they do need, and I feel like there is a lack of listening.”
Nodding as the student spoke, Harris then said she was “glad” the student raised the issue, and praised her for voicing “her truth”.
“This is about the fact that your voice, your perspective, your experience, your truth should not be suppressed and it must be heard, right? And one of the things we're fighting for in a democracy, right?"
"Unity should never be at the expense of telling anyone personally that, for the sake of unity, ‘Oh, you be quiet about that thing. You suppress that thing. Let’s not deal with that thing.' That's not unity. True unity is everyone in that room has a voice.”
"The point that you are making about policy that relates to Middle East policy, foreign policy, we still have healthy debates in our country about what is the right path, and nobody's voice should be suppressed on that.”