Kamala campaign runs pro-Israel ads in PA, pro-Palestinian ads in MI in potential split appeal to Jewish, Muslim voters

The Kamala Harris campaign is strategically running two distinct advertisements in Pennsylvania and Michigan regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict, one that would appeal to Jewish voters and another that would appeal to Muslim voters.

The Facebook ads which target Pennsylvania voters feature a clip of Harris’s speech during the Democratic National Convention, where she firmly defended Israel's right to self-defense.

“I will always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself, and I will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself, because the people of Israel must never again face the horror that a terrorist organization called Hamas caused on October 7, including unspeakable sexual violence and the massacre of young people at a music festival,” Harris stated in the ad.

“And know this: I will never hesitate to take whatever action is necessary to defend our forces and our interests against Iran and Iran-backed terrorists,” she added. The ad could appeal to Jewish voters, a key demographic that would be needed for her to win the state, as reported by CNN.

The Pennsylvania ad, however, notably omits two paragraphs from her speech that acknowledge the “suffering” occurring in Gaza.

Simultaneously, Harris is targeting Michigan voters with Facebook ads that feature clips from other speeches emphasizing the plight of Gazans. In these ads, clips from different Harris speeches show the vice president saying, “What has happened in Gaza over the past nine months is devastating” and that “Our common humanity compels us to act.”

The separate campaign ads come as the Democratic Party finds itself divided over the Israel-Hamas conflict. According to NBC, Pennsylvania is the swing state with the largest Jewish population as it is home to roughly 300,000 voting-age Jews. Many of these voters may feel as though Harris is not as staunch of an ally of Israel as they would hoped, particularly following the decision not to select Jewish Governor Josh Shapiro as her running mate.

At the same time, many Muslim voters in Michigan are disappointed with the vice president and feel she is too warm towards the Jewish state. Michigan representative Rashida Tlaib refused to endorse Harris this week, and recent polling indicates that most Muslim voters prefer third-party candidate Jill Stein over Kamala Harris. Michigan, another key swing state, is home to over 240,000 Muslims.