US Vice President Kamala Harris praised the anti-Israel protesters who have demonstrated across the US against Israel and in support of the Hamas terrorist organization since the Hamas massacre of October 7, while stopping short of fully endorsing their radical agenda.
In an interview with The Nation that was published today, Harris said that the protesters "are showing exactly what the human emotion should be, as a response to Gaza. There are things some of the protesters are saying that I absolutely reject, so I don’t mean to wholesale endorse their points. But we have to navigate it. I understand the emotion behind it.”
Anti-Israel protests have frequently devolved into antisemitism and violence, with calls for the eradication of the State of Israel. Protesters have harassed Jews and targeted Jewish institutions such as synagogues. Anti-American sentiments have also been expressed at these protests, including the burning of American flags by anti-Israel protesters on July 4 in New York City.
Addressing the war between Israel and Hamas and the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, Harris said, “Listen, I strongly believe that our ability to evaluate a situation is connected to understanding the details of that situation. Not speaking of myself versus the president, not at all. From the beginning, I asked questions. OK, the trucks are taking flour into Gaza. But here’s the thing, Joan: I like to cook. So I said to my team: You can’t make sh- with flour if you don’t have clean water. So what’s going on with that? I ask questions like, What are people actually eating right now? I’m hearing stories about their eating animal feed, grass … so that’s how I think about it."