Vice President Harris is Delivering for Jewish Americans

Fighting for Our Values as Vice President: 

• Vice President Harris has been a leading voice defending democracy and reproductive freedom – priority policy issues for Jewish Americans. 
• Vice President Harris has implemented a whole of government strategy to protect the right to vote, in addition to promoting key voting rights and pro-democracy legislation.
• Vice President Harris has led the administration’s efforts to protect abortion rights. She became the highest-ranking official to ever visit an abortion clinic and is steadfast in her support of our reproductive care.

Vice President Harris’s Commitment to Israel:

Throughout her career, Vice President Harris has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to Israel’s safety and security. That remains true today. Prior to and since October 7, Vice President Harris has made it abundantly clear that Israel has a right to defend itself and that she is unwavering in her commitment to Israel’s security. The Biden-Harris administration has worked tirelessly to support Israel diplomatically and militarily, fight antisemitism, and bring the hostages held by Hamas home.

The Harris-Walz campaign website states that “Vice President Harris will never hesitate to take whatever action is necessary to protect U.S. forces and interests from Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups. Vice President Harris will always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself and she will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself. She and President Biden are working to end the war in Gaza, 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. She and President Biden are working around the clock to get a hostage deal and a ceasefire deal done.”

Vice President Harris reiterated these points at her debate with Donald Trump on September 10, leading off her answer by reminding the national audience, “let’s understand how we got here. On October 7th, Hamas, a terrorist organization, slaughtered 1200 Israelis, many of them young people who were simply attending a concert. Women were horribly raped.”

• Securing Aid for Israel: Vice President Harris has consistently supported full funding for U.S. security assistance to Israel.
  • Vice President Harris was resolute in her support for Israel during her acceptance speech at the DNC, stating, “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 7, including unspeakable sexual violence and the massacre of young people at a music festival.”
  • Prior to the DNC, 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 National Security Supplemental Aid package, which provided more than $14 billion in security assistance for Israel. VP Harris held calls with congressional leadership to ensure its passage amid Republican delays. 
• Democratic Platform Outlines Support for Israel and Clearly Condemns Antisemitism: The 2024 Democratic Party Platform adopted at the DNC contains the strongest and most detailed support for Israel ever adopted by an American political party. In contrast, the Republican Party Platform mentions Israel exactly once, never mentions October 7 or the hostages, and never mentions Iran. Only the Democratic Party Platform prioritizes support for Israel, including the release of the hostages in conjunction with a ceasefire. Specifically related to Israel and antisemitism, the Democratic Party Platform: 
  • Affirms that a strong, secure, and democratic Israel is vital to the interests of the United States.
  • Unequivocally condemns Hamas and the October 7 attack.
  • Affirms that the United States strongly supports Israel in the fight against Hamas.
  • States Democrats’ “ironclad” commitment to Israel’s security, military assistance, and support of the 2016 Memorandum of Understanding and $14.3 billion aid package for Israel pledged by the Biden-Harris Administration and passed by Congress after six months of Republican delays.
  • Calls for a ceasefire deal that secures the return of all hostages, including the remaining Americans held in Gaza, and makes clear that a ceasefire “will lead to a more secure Israel and unlock the possibility of greater regional integration and historic normalization with its Arab neighbors.”
  • Reiterates that through aggressive diplomacy backed by U.S. military power, the Biden-Harris Administration has worked to deter and defend against Iran and its terrorist surrogates, including by posturing U.S. military forces in the region and authorizing precision airstrikes on key Iranian-linked targets tied to attacks against U.S. troops to deter further aggression by Iran. 
  • “Opposes any effort to unfairly single out and delegitimize Israel,” including through Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS).
  • Reiterates Democrats’ unequivocal condemnation of antisemitism and commitment to the Biden-Harris Administration’s first-ever National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, which includes bold actions to combat antisemitism on college campuses. 
• Engaging with Israeli Leaders: Since October 7, Harris has prioritized engaging with Israeli leaders to underscore her support for Israel and address the latest developments in Gaza and the region. 
  • On June 25, Vice President Harris met with Prime Minister Netanyahu to discuss Israel’s security. After the meeting, Vice President Harris said “From when I was a young girl collecting funds to plant trees for Israel to my time in the United States Senate. And now at the White House, I have had an unwavering commitment to the existence of the state of Israel to its security and to the people of Israel. I’ve said it many times but it bears repeating. Israel has a right to defend itself.”
  • Vice President Harris 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.
  • Vice President Harris has spoken about how Hamas has vowed to repeat October 7 until Israel is annihilated and said, “no nation could possibly live with such danger, which is why we support Israel’s legitimate military objectives to eliminate the threat of Hamas.” 
  • 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 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 December of 2023 in Dubai following a series of meetings with Arab leaders.
• Bringing Hostages Home and Assisting Israeli Intelligence: Under the Biden-Harris Administration, American intelligence teams have been in Israel throughout the war, assisting Israeli intelligence in collecting and analyzing information related to freeing the hostages. 
  • Upon the news of 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.”
  • In her DNC acceptance speech, Vice President Kamala Harris again reiterated that bringing home the hostages remains a top priority for the Biden-Harris Administration, saying “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 a ceasefire deal done.”
  • The United States, under the Biden-Harris Administration, provided intelligence that aided the successful rescue of four hostages on June 8.
  • On April 7, 2024, Vice President Harris met with families of Americans taken hostage by Hamas on October 7 and underscored that she and President Biden have no higher priority than reuniting the hostages with their loved ones. She also reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to bring home the remains of those who have been tragically confirmed to be deceased.
  • In November 2023, The Biden-Harris Administration worked with regional partners to secure the release of over 100 hostages, including U.S. citizens, small children, the elderly, and Holocaust survivors. 
• 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, resulting in no fatalities and 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. In her DNC speech, Vice President Kamala 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.” 

Vice President Harris’s Commitment to Fighting Antisemitism:

• Vice President Harris and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff played a key role in drafting 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. 
• 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.” 
• 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.
• At Israel’s Independence Day Reception in June 2023, 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. 
  • In recent budget negotiations, Republicans demanded cuts to the Nonprofit Security Grant Program.
• In the Senate, 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!”

Vice President Harris’s Engagement with the Jewish Community and Jewish Traditions:

• The Vice President and Second Gentleman have been proud to observe Jewish traditions at the Vice President’s Residence and host celebrations there in honor of Jewish holidays. For example, they have hung the first mezuzah at the Residence, hosted the first Passover Seder at the Residence, and lit the first Menorah at the Residence. The Vice President has said that these moments are a great source of pride for her, the Second Gentleman, and their entire family. 

Vice President Harris Delivered for the American People as a U.S. Senator:

• Then-Senator Harris championed legislation to deliver on a range of top priorities for the Jewish community and all marginalized communities. 
• In addition to combating hate crimes and antisemitism, she passed legislation to combat hunger, provide rent relief, improve maternal health care, and address the climate crisis as a member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. Her bipartisan anti-lynching bill passed the Senate in 2018. Her legislation to preserve historically Black colleges and universities was signed into law, as was her effort to infuse much-needed capital into low-income communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Talking Points: Gov. Tim Walz Stands with Jewish Americans

Talking Points: Key Messages on Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans

Talking Points: JD Vance: MAGA Extremist, Danger to Jewish Americans