The Distraction of Anti-Semitism

In late July, former President Donald Trump claimed Kamala Harris "doesn't like Jewish people." However, in this warm, feel-good moment, the husband of the Vice President states 

I didn't have to explain to her what a Jew was. She already knew. And she was the one um, who's encouraged me to live openly and proudly as a Jewish person. She's the one who encouraged me to make sure we have a mezuzah at the vice president's residence and if they'll let me- I hope they do- I'll have one at the White House, too.

I'm interested to see Kamala Harris become President of the USA and "they" prohibit the President of the USA from placing a religious symbol at the White House. Presumably, the same person who inexplicably said "if they'll let me," there will be a mezuzah at the White House was honest in claiming that Ms. Harris was "the one who encouraged me" to place one at the Naval Observatory.

Notwithstanding Trump's (unsubstantiated) charge, Kamala Harris is not anti-Semitic. However, the reason we can be confident of that is not because she married a Jew. 

Donald Trump married an immigrant, and no one would claim that he is particularly fond of immigrants. There are many reasons a woman may marry a man and it is very likely that, as in most cases, the reason for the Emhoff-Harris merger was not religion.

Animus toward Jews should not be the issue. In August, Harris condemned an Israeli air strike, which killed dozens of Gazans, upon a school which likely "served as an active Hamas and Islamic Jihad military facility." Though she failed to criticize the common Hamas tactic of putting military facilities where an Israeli attack would cause mass suffering, her perspective was not colored by any anti-Semitism. When the previous month she had decided to blow off the speech of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Congress, it was not because of anti-Semitism. She justifiably does not like the Israeli leader and believes her run for the presidency supersedes her role as presiding officer of the Senate.

Nor was the Vice President prompted by hostility toward Jews when she passed up the opportunity to denounce either anti-Semitism or the illegal encampments on college campuses and instead stated "I understand the emotion behind it." 

Moreover, prejudice wasn't at play even in autumn of 2021 in the Vice President's response to a student at George Mason University who claimed

You brought up how the power of the people and demonstrations and organizing is very valuable in America, but I see that over the summer there have been many protests and demonstrations standing with Palestine but then just a few days ago there were funds allocated to continue backing Israel, which hurts my heart because it's ethnic genocide and displacement of people, the same that happened in America, and I'm sure you're aware of this.

This funding of "ethnic genocide" was provided for the Iron Dome system, which prevents missile from landing in Israel, often in populated areas, which would kill multitudes of Israelis. And to this student, Harris replied "your voice, your perspective, your experience, your truth cannot be suppressed, and it must be heard."

The quote was not AI generated nor taken out of context. Harris did not merely assuage the deluded questioner by stating that her "voice"" should not be heard and not suppressed. She stated your truth must be heard. She agreed with her.

In their letter to the Vice President attacking her remarks, the two co-chairpersons of the Republican Israel Allies caucus charged her with "encaging a false narrative (which) only promotes a disingenuous worldview but is also anti-Semitic." They pointed to "historically high levels" of anti-Semitism in the United States and "even on college campuses, we are seeing spikes in anti-Semitic activity." 

This letter written nearly three years ago, before the Hamas war upon Israel brought a torrent of anti-Semitism to the fore, especially on college campuses. The response of the Democratic presidential candidate to this state of affairs has been tepid, owing not to hostility toward Jews but to hostility toward the cause of the Jewish state of Israel. 

At this point, it is clear that it is unclear what Kamala Harris' views are on Israel or on most issues. Moreover, anti-Semitism and an anti-Israel viewpoint need not be the same, and it is unlikely Kamala Harris possesses the first while she possesses the latter. 

Further, in the case involving the George Mason University student, Harris may have been merely triggered by invocation of the buzzword "Palestine," which often lays bare the disinterest of progressives, liberals, and some centrists toward Israel. Nonetheless, a pattern has emerged, one which suggests that President Biden's commitment to a safe and secure Israel is not shared by the woman determined to be his successor, whatever the religion of the man she's married to. 

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