Kamala Harris met with the founders of the Uncommitted National Movement, which activated tens of thousands of voters to withhold their votes from President Joe Biden in Michigan’s primary.
On Wednesday, before a campaign rally in Detroit, Michigan, Vice President Kamala Harris met with the founders of the Uncommitted National Movement, which activated tens of thousands of voters in the Wolverine State to withhold their votes from President Joe Biden in the primary because of the administration’s support of Israel’s war against Hamas terrorists.
Abbas Alawieh and Layla Elabed told The New York Times that they were in the welcoming line for Harris and her VP pick Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, and told Harris that they wanted to support her but that the anti-Israel voters they represented wanted her to consider an arms embargo to the Jewish state.
Harris met with the group and listened to stories of people in Michigan who allegedly have relatives in Gaza. The leaders of the group claimed that Harris was open to the arms embargo and had the leaders follow up with her staff. However, according to the outlet, a source close to Harris disputed the claim and said Harris was not open to the idea.
The Democrats’ presidential nominee was immediately hit with backlash after the news of the meeting broke, given Harris’ spotty record on support for Israel, an American ally. The story was magnified following allegations that Harris had passed over picking Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro as her running mate due to criticism from the far-left of her party over his Jewish identity.
To quell the firestorm, Harris' campaign issued a statement that read, “Since October 7, the Vice President has prioritized engaging with Arab, Muslim, and Palestinian community members and others regarding the war in Gaza. In this brief engagement, she reaffirmed that her campaign will continue to engage with those communities. The Vice President has been clear: she will always work to ensure Israel is able to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups. The Vice President is focused on securing the ceasefire and hostage deal currently on the table. As she has said, it is time for this war to end in a way where: Israel is secure, hostages are released, the suffering of Palestinian civilians ends, and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, freedom, and self-determination.”
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View on XHarris’ meeting with the radical activists did not appear to quell the anti-Israel voices at her rally. She was interrupted during her remarks by pro-Palestinian activists.
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