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Netanyahu's visit to the United States
The Palestinian case can be decisive for Democrats in the U.S. presidential elections.
  • The candidates for the US presidential elections have ratified their support for Israel following Netanyahu’s visit to the country, including the Democratic Party. However, many Democratic voters have made the attitude towards genocide a condition for their vote.
Jon Hidalgo Gereñu 2024ko abuztuaren 01a
Argazkia: Julia Nikhinson | AP

Netanyahu traveled to the United States last week to meet Democrats and Republicans and seek their support and solidarity with the people of New York. The Israeli Prime Minister, whom the International Criminal Court wishes to arrest for war crimes, was applauded in Congress, where the majority of the House stood among honors. Israel needs weapons, money and political support from the United States, and Netanyahu tried to ensure that Israel receives aid. The Prime Minister met with Joe Biden, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, and all three gave their support to Israel, albeit with different nuances.

Civilization or barbarism. In those terms the Israeli Prime Minister spoke about the struggle between good and evil. On new-born babies killed by Hamas, the Haaretz media and the Israeli police themselves were able to see that this was a lie first spread by the media and pointed to the alleged violations of HAMAS, which have not been documented after numerous investigations. Between applause, he asked for help from the United States: “Israel is now at the forefront of the fighting civilization. Give him tools faster and we'll end faster."

Opponents of genocide in Iran at pay

The Israeli Prime Minister said that all those who have denounced the genocide in Israel are paid by Iran. He also accused American Jews who protested outside the Congress of Deputies that they were "useful jerks" in Iran. Some democrats left the Chamber as a protest before Netanyahu's speech, but they were a minority. Kamala Harris, who was not present in the speech, drew anti-Semites from his colleagues who participated in the protest against Netanyahu.

Democrats have been harmed by support for the Israeli genocide, because a significant part of the Democratic electorate has appeared in favour of Palestine, and it is to be seen what will affect the results of the November elections. Biden's greatest humanitarian gesture has been to temporarily postpone the dispatch of a handful of weapons, while speeches in favour of a cease-fire have taken place. But he has not put much pressure on Netanyahu to really change his mind, given that the United States is the country that has the most capacity to condition Israel.

Harris yes, but no

Several media outlets have pointed out that Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate for the White House in the absence of surprises, has changed her speech and has shown "empathy" with the Palestinians. After meeting with Netanyahu, Harris spoke of the "tragedy" of Gaza and said he will not be silent in the face of suffering. He asked the Israeli Prime Minister to accept the proposal for a ceasefire made to him by the United States. However, he showed a clear position in favour of Israel, promised “iron protection” and defended that he “has a firm commitment to the existence and security” of Israel.

Several activists in support of Palestine have denounced that empathy is not enough and have called for the Palestinian Government to "stop sending arms and money". Although Harris has somewhat smoothed his speech, many critics have warned that his position has not changed at all and that he has not proposed any new policy.

Harris, who has been a senator for many years, has a long history in favor of Israel. In 2017, for example, it promoted measures against the UN Security Council by denouncing illegal colonies in the West Bank. Israel also made a speech that year in the AIPAC lobby in the United States, while many leftist politicians were moving away from Israel. U.S. Security spokesman John Kirby stressed that Harris has been "wholly" in supporting Israel against the Gaza Strip.

How much will it affect Democrats to protect genocide?

The bases of the Democratic Party have evolved considerably in the opinion on Israel in relation to genocide. More than half, according to a survey in May, believe that it is genocide that Israel is doing in Gaza, and 83% are in favour of a ceasefire. Thousands of people have created the “Uncommitted movement” or “Uncommitted movement”, saying that they will only vote in favour of Democrats if they adopt a clear position in favour of Palestine.

The states of Pennsylvania and Michigan are especially important in the presidential elections, as they can take the balance to one side or another. In those two states, the advantage that Trump has gained in the last elections is not very great, and the result may be conditioned by the Palestinian voters. In Pennsylvania, for example, Democrat Summer Lee is the primary winner, based on his speech against campaign genocide. In the state of Michigan, for its part, there is a large Arab community, almost half a million people, and there are also many Muslims who are neither Jews nor Arabs fighting genocide. Harris is in danger of losing his voice if he does not change his mind about Palestine and loses the elections.

Trump's expected protection

Netanyahu, who also met with Donald Trump on his visit to the United States, also referred to his intention to support Israel. The Republican candidate criticized Kamala Harris for his statements on Gaza: He said they “disrespected.” The relationship between Trump and Netanyahu cracked a bit after the 2020 election, when Netanyahu recognized Biden’s victory, while Trump denounced the fraud he had committed. On that occasion, Trump even insulted the Israeli Prime Minister for the decision.

But Trump, when he was in the government, had a clear stance in favor of Israel’s interests. Among other measures, he recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, to which he transferred to the United States General Embassy. This decision was taken against international law, as Jerusalem is a shared city, according to the UN.