Vice President Harris is Delivering for Jewish Americans

Key Toplines: 

• Kamala Harris is the only presidential candidate who the Jewish community can trust to safeguard Israel, fight antisemitism, prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, and stand with the vast majority of Jewish Americans on key issues, including defense of democracy, reproductive rights, gun safety, and a strong economy.
• What Kamala Harris told the Democratic Party, the nation, and the world about Israel and antisemitism when she accepted the Democratic nomination for president summarizes why Jewish voters will overwhelmingly support her in November:
  • “With respect to the war in Gaza. President Biden and I are working around the clock. Because now is the time to get a hostage deal and ceasefire done.
  • “Let me be clear: 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 the terrorist organization Hamas caused on October 7th. Including unspeakable sexual violence and the massacre of young people at a music festival.
  • “At the same time, what has happened in Gaza over the past 10 months is devastating. So many innocent lives lost. Desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety, over and over again. The scale of suffering is heartbreaking.
  • “President Biden and I are working to end this war such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity. Security. Freedom. And self-determination.”
• On the one-year anniversary of October 7, Kamala Harris said the following: 
  • “I will never forget the horror of October 7, 2023. 1,200 innocent people, including 46 Americans, were massacred by Hamas terrorists. Women raped on the side of the road. 250 people kidnapped. It was the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust. What Hamas did that day was pure evil – it was brutal and sickening. And it has rekindled a deep fear among the Jewish people not just in Israel, but in the United States and around the world.
  • ‘The long, extraordinary arc of Jewish history is full of pogroms and prejudice, slaughter and separation. And now, in our own generation, there is another moment that the world must never forget.
  • ‘I am devastated by the loss and pain of the Israeli people as a result of the heinous October 7 attack. Doug and I pray for the families of the victims and hope they find solace in remembering the lives their loved ones lived.
  • ‘We also pray for the safety of Jewish people all around the world. We all must ensure nothing like the horrors of October 7 ever happen again. I will do everything in my power to ensure that the threat Hamas poses is eliminated, that it is never again able to govern Gaza, that it fails in its mission to annihilate Israel, and that the people of Gaza are free from the grip of Hamas. I will never stop fighting for the release of all the hostages, including the seven American citizens, living and deceased, still held: Omer, Edan, Sagui, Keith, Judy, Gad, and Itay. I will never stop fighting for justice for those who murdered Hersh Goldberg-Polin and other Americans. And I will always ensure Israel has what it needs to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorists like Hamas. My commitment to the security of Israel is unwavering.”
• Vice President Harris and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff worked to develop the first-ever National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism. The strategy mobilizes over two dozen federal agencies and contains over 100 specific, actionable steps to end this hate and prevent antisemitic attacks, including on campus.
• The Democratic Platform contains the strongest and most detailed support for Israel and opposition to antisemitism ever adopted by any American political party. The Republican Platform does not even mention October 7, Hamas, the hostages, or Iran.
  
• Compare Vice President Harris’s record on these issues to Donald Trump’s. Trump’s record proves that we cannot trust him to support Israel or fight antisemitism, let alone stand with us on other key issues, including defense of democracy, reproductive rights, gun safety, and a strong economy.
  

Commitment to Israel:

• Securing Aid for Israel: Vice President Harris has consistently supported full funding for U.S. security assistance to Israel during her service in the U.S. Senate and as Vice President. 
  • Prior to the Democratic Convention, the Harris campaign released the following statement: “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.” 
  • In April, Vice President Harris played a critical role in the passage of the Biden-Harris administration’s emergency aid package to Israel, which provided more than $14 billion in security assistance for Israel. Vice President Harris held calls with congressional leadership to ensure its passage amid six months of Republican delays.
  • In September, the Biden-Harris administration provided an additional $5.2 billion in security assistance for Israel that included funding for Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and an advanced laser defense system.
• Democratic Platform Strongly Supports Israel: The 2024 Democratic Party Platform adopted at the Democratic National Convention contains the strongest and most detailed support for Israel ever adopted by any American political party. In contrast, the Republican Party Platform mentions Israel exactly once and never mentions October 7, the hostages, or Iran. Only the Democratic Party Platform prioritizes support for Israel, including the release of the hostages in conjunction with a ceasefire. The Democratic platform unequivocally condemns Hamas and its October 7 attack on Israel, and “opposes any effort to unfairly single out and delegitimize Israel,” including through Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS).
• Engaging with Israeli Leaders: On July 25, Vice President Harris met with Prime Minister Netanyahu to discuss Israel’s security. Since October 7, she has spoken with President Herzog of Israel four times and met with him once; she has met with War Cabinet Member Benny Gantz once; and she has joined nearly 20 phone calls between President Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu. 
• Eliminating Hamas: Vice President Harris has repeatedly called for eliminating the threat Hamas poses to Israel and has said that Hamas cannot control Gaza. She continuously reiterates that “the onus is on Hamas” to accept the proposed ceasefire deal and release the hostages. In June 2024, Vice President Harris spoke out forcefully against Hamas’s unconscionable use of sexual violence on October 7 at the White House. In August 2024, Vice President Harris said, “The threat Hamas poses to the people of Israel—and American citizens in Israel—must be eliminated and Hamas cannot control Gaza.” Vice President Harris also affirmed her commitment to Israel’s security while addressing a crowd at the anniversary of Bloody Sunday in March of 2024, and in December of 2023.
• Bringing Hostages Home: Since October 7, Vice President Harris has been a leader in efforts to release the hostages and support hostage families. After the tragic murder of Hersh Goldberg-Polin and five other hostages, the Vice President met with the U.S. hostage deal negotiation team and stated that “Hamas is an evil terrorist organization. With these murders, Hamas has even more American blood on its hands. I strongly condemn Hamas’ continued brutality, and so must the entire world.”
• Protecting Israel from Iranian Aggression: In April, in the face of an unprecedented direct Iranian attack on Israel, the Biden-Harris Administration led a coordinated response with Israel and other Western allies to intercept 99% of Iran’s drones and missiles, saving thousands of Israeli lives. In advance of Iran’s attack, the administration positioned U.S. military assets in the region to help defend against Iranian aggression. When she accepted the Democratic nomination for president, Vice President Harris reiterated that, as president, countering Iran’s aggressions would be a priority: “I will never hesitate to take whatever action is necessary to defend our forces and our interests against Iran and Iran-backed terrorists.”
  • After the death of Hassan Nasrallah, Vice President Harris released a statement in which she said: “Hassan Nasrallah was a terrorist with American blood on his hands. Across decades, his leadership of Hezbollah destabilized the Middle East and led to the killing of countless innocent people in Lebanon, Israel, Syria, and around the world. Today, Hezbollah’s victims have a measure of justice. I have an unwavering commitment to the security of Israel. I will always support Israel’s right to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis.”
    

Vice President Harris’s Commitment to Fighting Antisemitism:

• In July 2024, Vice President Harris swiftly condemned pro-Hamas graffiti and rhetoric following Prime Minister Netanyahu’s address to Congress, stating that “antisemitism, hate and violence of any kind have no place in our nation.” 
• In June 2024, Vice President Harris spoke out against acts of violence and efforts to prevent Jewish Americans from entering a synagogue in Los Angeles in June, calling the incident abhorrent and antisemitic.
• In June 2023, at Israel’s Independence Day Reception, Vice President Harris said, “When Jews are targeted because of their beliefs or identity, and when Israel is singled out because of anti-Jewish hatred, that is antisemitism, and that is unacceptable.”
• The Biden-Harris administration supported increased funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program into law, bolstering funding to help secure synagogues and Jewish institutions from hate crimes.
• As a U.S. senator, Harris took a leading role in combating antisemitism and all forms of hate. Harris was the lead sponsor of S.Res.118, a resolution condemning hate crimes and any other forms of racism, religious or ethnic bias, discrimination, incitement to violence, or animus targeting a minority in the United States. The resolution highlighted the threat posed by antisemitism and its dangerous rise and called on the Trump administration to devote additional resources to combating hate crimes. 
• When then-Senator Harris visited Yad Vashem in 2017, she wrote: “As we bear witness to the horrors of the Holocaust, let us always strive to remember that we as human beings have so much more in common than what separates us. And by embracing this truth, let us live up to that solemn promise — never again!”

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