A key to Democrats winning back the far left in the party is for Israel to call for a ceasefire with Hamas.
The White House has been pressing Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu on this front, but any hope of a ceasefire happening before the election may have just gone up in smoke, literally.
Talking Points…
- Harris talks tough against Israel
- Netanyahu delivers the bad news
- Analysis
Almost immediately after being gifted the Democrat nomination, Harris spoke about the war between Israel and Hamas, and I would guarantee that her words led to Hamas feeling a bit more empowered, allowing them to dig in regarding any possible ceasefire agreement with Israel. Harris stated:
"Israel has a right to defend itself and how it does so matters. What has happened in Gaza over the past nine months is devastating.
"The images of dead children and desperate hungry people fleeing for safety, sometimes displaced for the second, third or fourth time. We cannot look away in the face of these tragedies. We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering and I will not be silent."
Harris failed to mention that one of the attacks that killed women and children was a misfire by Hamas. She also seems to have forgotten that Hamas literally beheaded women and children, and took hundreds of prisoners, torturing and raping the women. Has anyone ever heard a single Democrat call out Palestine for not helping Israel remove Hamas from its borders? Has any Democrat really held Hamas accountable for its actions? To that exact point, Harris continued:
"It is time for this war to end and end in a way where Israel is secure, all the hostages are released, the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can exercise their right to freedom, dignity and self-determination…"
"As I just told Prime Minister Netanyahu, it is time to get this deal done. So to everyone who has been calling for a ceasefire, and to everyone who yearns for peace, I see you and I hear you."
When Harris made her comments, numerous Israeli officials sounded off against her, as though she had just slapped them right in the face. One leader stated that stopping against Hamas now would be like "surrendering to Hamas. Another stated that such a deal would allow Hamas to rehabilitate." And I happen to agree with everything they are saying.
Hamas continues to prove everyone right. There was reportedly significant headway made in ceasefire negotiations. During negotiations of this nature, fighting generally calms down, but that is not how Hamas and its allies function. On Sunday, it was reported that Hezbollah fired off another rocket attack against Israel. And make no mistake about it.. they are doing this to help Hamas. After the attack took place, Netanyahu seemed pretty adamant that Israel was going to strike back in a big way. He stated:
"What happened today is not the end of the story. Hezbollah tried to attack the State of Israel with rockets and drones early in the morning.
"We instructed the IDF to carry out a powerful pre-emptive strike to remove the threat."
Netanyahu then added:
"The IDF destroyed thousands of short-range rockets, and they were all intended to harm our citizens and our forces in Galilee. In addition, the IDF intercepted all the UAVs that Hezbollah launched for a strategic purpose in the center of the country. We are hitting Hezbollah with surprising blows…. Three weeks ago, we eliminated his chief of staff, and today, we foiled his attack plan.
"Nasrallah in Beirut and Khamenei in Tehran should know that this is another step on the way to change the situation in the north and return our residents safely to their homes. And I repeat – this is not the end of the story."
Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, after a meeting took place between Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant, stated:
"The Secretary reiterated Israel's right to defend itself and the United States' ironclad resolve to support Israel's defense against threats from Iran and its regional partners and proxies.
"As part of that support, the Secretary has ordered the presence of two Carrier Strike Groups to remain in the region. The Secretary also expressed support for completing negotiations on a ceasefire and hostage-release deal."
As long as the United States has a presence like this in the Middle East, it is going to hurt Democrats in this election. The far left of the party despises Israel and Jews. Many believe that is why Harris did not go with the slam dunk of Governor Josh Shapiro as her VP. Dems are trying to appease literal radicals to keep power. Now, they have backed themselves into a corner, talking out of both sides of their mouths about an ally in an effort to win back their vote. If Israel does not have a ceasefire soon, it could be the difference maker in this election.