[I’ve written a short speech for Vice President Harris, preceded by an explanation of why I think it is vital for her to take such a position. I illustrate it not with a horrific photo of children killed in the bombing, but with a photo of the Martian moon Phobos, “Fear” revolving around the god of War, both because it is so striking and so apt.]
Some supporters of Vice President Harris are trying to stifle any pressure on her to take any critical stand against Israel’s attack on a school that they say housed a Hamas official. I think that they are missing some critical context. After this attack on a Gazan school — CONDUCTED BY PEOPLE WHO WANT HER TO LOSE THIS ELECTION — I think that her failure to make certain commitments does MORE to endanger her candidacy than does her speaking out — and, furthermore, that it does so INTENTIONALLY.
This may be a good time for her to say:
“I am not saying that Israel should not exist or that any violent attack on it is justified. But I am saying that I now think that the upcoming election is leading Israel to take outrageously disproportionate actions like this specifically to influence the outcome, which is heinous.
“For that reason I favor a pause in all military shipments to Israel until after Thanksgiving. But if Hamas responds to this by accelerating its own attacks, I reserve the right change my mind — and even also come to favor sending in American commandos to conduct more surgical versions of such attacks to save the lines of innocent Palestinian teachers and children.
“But Israel should know clearly that it cannot expect our silence and complicity in attacks that assign absolutely no value to the lives of innocent human beings. I will make just resolution of this conflict a priority of my administration, as this wound on both peoples has been allowed to fester for too long.”
I think that my proposed approach is MORE likely to keep Kamala from losing the election than continued silence — because the timing of this is NOT likely an accident and it will likely be repeated and repeated to put her in a “no win” between now and November 5. As such, this attack of peacemaking is itself an attack on the U.S. system. She should of course invite Mr. Trump to join her in this statement and ask President Biden to extend a similar invitation to endorse a pause to ALL of the members of the U.S. Security Council and all members of NATO, and perhaps others beyond that.
Greg,
She has already spoken on this issue. She said she will not remain silent about the suffering in Palestine but she still and will always supports Israel’s right and ability to defend itself. Which means she doesn’t really give an f about Palestinians cuz Netanyahu is making the Biden administration and the U.S. look like the junior partner.
https://youtu.be/kL63z694RoE
No it doesn’t mean that. There’s a lot of space between “yeah, you can go kill all of the Palestinians if you think it’s advisable” and “yeah, you have a right to a homeland in that region, but it does not give you the right to do anything like what you’re doing.
Netanyahu is overplaying his hand and he will find out the consequences.
Not one American advocates bombing a school when there is a school shooter inside. Harris should demand that ground troops be used to find and defeat Hamas fighters as opposed to bombing. If Israel continues collective punishment, she should warn them that we will halt all offensive weapons shipments and only provide defensive weapon shipments which support the Iron dome defense.
Pretty much. The two scenarios aren’t exactly “on all fours” — no one would argue that the school administrators favor the school shooter’s actions, as might be the case in Gaza — but your conclusion is sound.