The Republican presidential candidate ridiculously claimed that Biden is "trying to hold" Bibi back, as the Israeli prime minister continued to ruthlessly bomb Lebanon and Gaza.

“He’s doing a good job,” Trump saidabout the Israeli leader. “Biden is trying to hold him back, just so you understand, Biden is more superior to the VP. He’s trying to hold him back, and he probably should be doing the opposite, actually. I’m glad that Netanyahu decided to do what he had to do, but it’s moving along pretty good.”

  • LovableSidekick@lemmy.world
    52·
    15 hours ago

    Boggles my mind that anybody intends to vote for Trump not Harris because they think he’ll be better for Palestine.

    • sweetpotato@lemmy.ml
      1733·
      1 day ago

      Rather unfortunate for you that the folks complaining about dnc being 100% complicit and funding the genocide, have never ever claimed that Trump is the better choice.

      Also I love the genocide in quotes, really says all you need to know

        • the_crotch@sh.itjust.works
          98·
          19 hours ago

          So we should be happy that our best option is moderately less horrible than our worst option and pretend we’re ok with that

        • reddit_sux@lemmy.world
          26·
          17 hours ago

          For Palestinians he is slightly worse if not the same. So if that is the criteria for the choice, there is insignificant difference between them.

          The difference might be to be killed in a few days (Trump) vs a few weeks to months (Harris).

          • WolfLink@sh.itjust.works
            61·
            16 hours ago

            Well at least you’re admitting he is the worse choice for Palestinians, so that’s a start.

            He’s also far, far worse on every other issue I can think of, such as those directly impacting Americans.

            • reddit_sux@lemmy.world
              25·
              16 hours ago

              Him being worse doesn’t make Harris good, she is just not that bad.

              For people voting on that basis might decide immediate death would be better than definite death after prolonged suffering. That makes him better.

              Gaza is a foolish hill to die on and make a choice on. Nothing you do or choose is going to make a difference.

              He’s also far, far worse on every other issue I can think of, such as those directly impacting Americans.

              He is no different than all the despots and dictators America has exported. He is no different than the founding fathers.

              • AbidanYre@lemmy.worldEnglish
                1·
                10 minutes ago

                He is no different than all the despots and dictators America has exported. He is no different than the founding fathers.

                What a mind numbingly stupid thing to say.

    • mightyfoolish@lemmy.world
      1015·
      1 day ago

      American politics are unanimous on this issue. Biden complained Obama was being too hard on Neyanyahu. All Obama wanted is for Israel to stop bombing the innocent people in Gaza (and he asked Israel to halt building settlements for 3 months). Biden said that Obama was asking for too much and could risk Israel stop listening to the US. We reached this moment BECAUSE of Biden.

      Trump sees how Washington is congratulating Biden while it’s the liberal college students condemning him. That’s a win-win situation in the mind of Republicans. In Trump’s mind, bombing Palestine is good because Biden is getting away with it. Trump is saying he can do it better but isn’t that what Trump says with everything. Is Trump new to you? Biden set this up.

      • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.worldEnglish
        42·
        17 hours ago

        American politics are unanimous on this issue. Biden complained Obama was being too hard on Neyanyahu. All Obama wanted is for Israel to stop bombing the innocent people in Gaza (and he asked Israel to halt building settlements for 3 months). Biden said that Obama was asking for too much and could risk Israel stop listening to the US. We reached this moment BECAUSE of Biden.

        Sure is neat how a VP can differ from a president when it’s in favor of Netanyahu.

        • mightyfoolish@lemmy.world
          31·
          7 hours ago

          Personally, I think Biden’s take on Palestine is insane. It’s like he as a personal stake on the continuation of making Palestinians miserable . Why do people still defend on when it comes to this? The best thing for these Democrats to do is what Harris is already doing; not talking about it since her plans on this issue WILL NOT help her campaign.

      • SpaceCowboy@lemmy.ca
        82·
        22 hours ago

        Biden said that Obama was asking for too much and could risk Israel stop listening to the US.

        So in your version of events, was Biden right that Israel would stop listening to the US? Like is Israel not listening to the US because Biden was unable to convince Obama? Or are you saying Israel does listen to the US and Biden is making Netanyahu do things he doesn’t really want to do?

        Really not sure what your point is here.

        • mightyfoolish@lemmy.world
          44·
          21 hours ago

          was Biden right that Israel would stop listening to the US?

          There’s nothing Israel is doing that Biden wants them to stop. So, this is hard to judge.

          because Biden was unable to convince Obama?

          The opposite. Obama wanted Israel to slow down attacks on Palestinians. Biden talked Obama into to applying less pressure (and Obama was not asking for much to begin with).

          Biden is making Netanyahu do things he doesn’t really want to do?

          I suggested nothing of the sort.

          Really not sure what your point is here.

          It was a rebuttal to a comment someone else made.

  • Minarble@aussie.zone
    11812·
    2 days ago

    If you are an American voter and you sit this one out or vote 3rd party and Trump gets in you are directly supporting escalation and taking whatever little restraint away that Netanyahu is feeling from the USA.

    Instead of calls for restraint you will have cheerleading from the sidelines.

    • UltraGiGaGigantic@lemmy.mlEnglish
      21·
      1 hour ago

      So I see you’re concerned about the mathematical flaws of First past the post voting and the spoiler effect that comes along with it.

      Did you know that alternative electoral systems exist? Ones where there isn’t a spoiler effect even. I feel like most democrats, like yourself, understand these faults quite well.

      So why are you mad about people who want to vote outside the two party system? Shouldn’t your anger be better directed at the two legacy poltical parties that protect this flawed voting system?

      We all understand that republicans like First Past The Post voting. They are moving to protect FPTP voting in states they control. However, democrats say they support democracy. So can you tell me why they continue to use FPTP voting in the majority of states they control?

      It’s not like this is a new issue. Its not like the democratic party just found out about the spoiler effect that comes with First Past The Post voting. Democrats have been quick to point out the flaws of our voting system longer then I’ve been alive.

      Again, if the democrats are so informed of the flaws of the voting system, why does it persist in the vast majority of blue states? Who is preventing this reform? It’s not the republicans… they aren’t in power in these states. In a two party system, that would leave only one political party responsible for this spoiler effect.

      The democrats.

      They have sat on their hands for countless decades, understanding the problem yet doing nothing to resolve the issue.

      So you see, you should be mad at the democratic party for putting their party over the needs of the people. Not the people who want to vote a certain way.

      It’s unreasonable to blame those unrepresented in government for what is. This is what we voted for… again… and again… and again. Over and over. This is the result.

      • AbidanYre@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        8 minutes ago

        Cool. Do you have a way to implement RCV nationwide in the next two weeks? Because otherwise there are exactly two people with any chance of winning this election.

    • Nuke_the_whales@lemmy.world
      119·
      1 day ago

      I honestly think if you can’t be bothered to vote you need to shut the fuck up, not complain and keep your political opinions to yourself. If you’re not even gonna vote, shut the fuck up. I don’t wanna hear it.

      • sweetpotato@lemmy.ml
        924·
        1 day ago

        Pretty unfortunate for you that there’s free speech then huh? Not letting you spew your dnc propaganda undisturbed

        • SpaceCowboy@lemmy.ca
          82·
          22 hours ago

          The comment you replied to is also an example of free speech. I see it made you a little butt-hurt that this guy isn’t interested in what you have to say. But that’s the nature of free speech, you can say what you want, but others a free to think you’re a waste of time.

          Perhaps if someone isn’t interested in what you have to say, you shouldn’t bother replying to them.

          • sweetpotato@lemmy.ml
            54·
            17 hours ago

            I wouldn’t know since I am not a republican. I’m just absolutely not ok with the Palestinian genocide, but you care so little that you only seen republicans, regardless if the critique comes from the right or from the left. You’d wish you could make me look like a republican.

            • Nuke_the_whales@lemmy.world
              52·
              8 hours ago

              If you’re gonna help Republicans by staying home or voting third party or some shit you may as well slap on the red hat

              • sweetpotato@lemmy.ml
                22·
                7 hours ago

                I know you’d wish that, but unfortunately genocide is too much for me and the least evil argument doesn’t hold up anymore. There are red lines and dnc has absolutely crossed them. I’m not expecting you to understand, you clearly don’t care enough about the genocide.

                • AbidanYre@lemmy.worldEnglish
                  31·
                  7 hours ago

                  Cool, vote for Stein then. That way you can get three genocides (Gaza, Ukraine, and LGBTQ at home) instead of just one.

                  But for people that actually oppose genocide, Harris is the only vote that will actually accomplish anything.

  • Chapelgentry@lemmynsfw.comEnglish
    11714·
    2 days ago

    C’mon enlightened lefties! Come on and tell me how you won’t be voting for genocide and we should follow so the Democrats figure out through losing the election that they should court lefties. Nevermind we get 4 years of, “he’s doing a good job” as long as Democrats learn to denounce genocide.

    C’mon you fucking cowards, get in here and sell me on how Trump winning helps solve your single issue voting on genocide.

    • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.worldEnglish
      6111·
      2 days ago

      I’m voting for Harris. She shouldn’t be supporting genocide and neither should you.

      • Chapelgentry@lemmynsfw.comEnglish
        282·
        1 day ago

        Absolutely no disagreement there. I don’t condone genocide, and think we should do something about it but I’m not foolish enough to think not voting for the lesser of two evils accomplishes this. We are in agreement.

        • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.worldEnglish
          1217·
          1 day ago

          Nor am I. Unfortunately, there are plenty of people on lemmy who are so pro-genocide that they cannot abide any criticism of it, no matter how mild. These people immediately assume that anyone who has any misgivings at all about Democrats supporting Netanyahu’s genocide must be a trump supporter.

          I’m looking forward to October 21, when early voting opens in Texas, so I can vote for Harris. That doesn’t mean I must remain silent about genocide.

          • Rhoeri@lemmy.worldEnglish
            184·
            1 day ago

            No one here is pro-genocide. It’s all in your head as a defense mechanism to use against people that disagree with you.

              • Rhoeri@lemmy.worldEnglish
                123·
                19 hours ago

                Hey bud, genocide denial isn’t genocide support. And while I truly believe genocide is happening, (mods- take note that I said this as I’m certain they’re reporting me for genocide denial)…

                there will always be other people out there who try and define things by their own terms. This doesn’t make them right- but we all know your false equivalence has no filter, or ability to discern the difference between the two.

                If someone says “I don’t have cancer” when they have cancer, that doesn’t make them pro cancer. It’s just makes them in denial.

                In short- saying that it is’t genocide isn’t saying they would support it if it were. And it’s well known that you constantly accuse everyone that calls you out as a genocide supporter. So since we’re handing our advice….

                Maybe don’t do that.

    • Tinidril@midwest.socialEnglish
      1758·
      2 days ago

      This is ignorant as fuck. First of all, there is no more reliable group of voters in the country than progressives. Not even MAGA members have shown up at polls as reliably for Republicans as the left has for Democrats. Still, the Democratic establishment whines about leftists staying home to excuse their pathetic losses, and morons eat it up.

      Also, even if there were any kind of truth to this narrative, trying to win an election by shaming voters is dumb as fuck. No voter who is as fickle as you think the left is, is going to decide to show up because you shouted insults at them. This isn’t a strategy to win elections, it’s a strategy to excuse losing them.

      It’s not “left” voters saying they will stay home, not in significant numbers. It’s Muslim voters or, more precisely, it’s voters who know the names of the people being systematically slaughtered with US weapons. While I agree that voting Democrat is the best bad option for Palestinians, I can’t get behind shaming someone for not voting to elect someone unrepentantly responsible for blowing up their loved ones. If they can’t stomach voting for Harris, I don’t blame them.

      • davidagain@lemmy.world
        436·
        2 days ago

        There are a bunch of “leftists” on lemmy arguing till the cows come home that leftists mustn’t vote for the Democrats on the grounds that Kamala Harris is personally responsible for genocide in Gaza, who are able to both-sides any and every criticism of the Republicans. They advocate not voting and voting third parties, anything, really, as long as anyone with a conscience over Gaza excludes themselves from affecting whether Kamala Harris or Donald Trump becomes president. They argue that losing to the right wingers will push them left, but I think it’ll drag them to the right where the votes are, and that if you withhold your vote when the alternative is someone who promised to be dictator on day one (and more recently says he’ll send the military to deal with “the enemy within”, which is apparently left wing folk), your vote isn’t winnable anyway and you’ve excluded yourself from the very effect on voting you claim to be having, but none of that makes any difference to the people calling themselves leftists who want trump to win.

        • Tinidril@midwest.socialEnglish
          61·
          1 day ago

          I think you nailed it with “leftists”. The comment I responded to didn’t bother with the quotes.

          The whole point of this obvious right wing psy-op is to drive a wedge between liberals and leftists. When liberals don’t distinguish between “leftists” and leftists, it plays right into their hands.

          These operatives are running a two pronged attack. They aren’t just impersonating leftists, they also imitate liberals preaching from their high horses like Hillary Clinton on steroids. Liberals should take care not to do that work for them.

        • DancingBear@midwest.social
          28·
          1 day ago

          I advocate firmly for my friends and family to vote for Harris. But I can’t support genocide, so my ballot will not include a vote for president.

          • davidagain@lemmy.world
            74·
            1 day ago

            So you’re happy to let Donald “finish them” “best king of Israel” “Biden shouldn’t try to hold Netanyahu back, he should do the opposite” Trump lead the western world?!? I think you really need to reexamine the effect of your actions.

            • DancingBear@midwest.social
              25·
              20 hours ago

              I suppose if that is the only two options then whatever, I’m not voting for the lesser of two genocides, but I’m also truly sorry if that offends you. There are many other ballot options for me to consider

              I hope Kamala wins, but it is her own fault if she loses against trump

              The democrats can recruits millions from the current generation if they just change their policy in one or two simple ways look at the numbers

        • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.worldEnglish
          424·
          1 day ago

          When the election is over, what will you call people who don’t want the US to support genocide when you can’t call them all trumpers?

          • Rhoeri@lemmy.worldEnglish
            21·
            18 hours ago

            Won’t matter, we all know that most of you won’t be around then.

          • davidagain@lemmy.world
            121·
            1 day ago

            The logical error implicit in your question is that allowing Donald “finish them” Trump to win is obviously worse for Gaza, so I don’t believe for a minute that anyone calling for folks to exclude themselves from affecting whether the country gets Trump or Harris in the White House actually cares about Gaza at all, even a little bit.

            • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.worldEnglish
              111·
              1 day ago

              The logical error implicit in your question is that allowing Donald “finish them” Trump to win is obviously worse for Gaza

              I’m still voting for Harris, and have never advocated for not voting, voting third party, or voting for trump. You’ve ignored this multiple times because it’s contrary to your “anti-genocide = pro-trump” narrative.

                • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.worldEnglish
                  14·
                  21 hours ago

                  Anti-genocide != anti-Harris, but every genocide supporter interprets it so because they don’t want the genocide to stop until it’s complete.

              • davidagain@lemmy.world
                31·
                1 day ago

                That’s not my narrative AT ALL. My narrative is that the people who argue that caring about Gaza or caring about left wing issues means you should exclude yourself from deciding between Kamala Harris and Donald “best King of Israel” Trump aren’t really left wing or pro Gaza people at all, they’re trumpers trying to suppress left wing votes. Tindiril seemed not to realise they exist, but the rest of the thread has them out in spades. I’ve never taken issue with people hating what’s going on in Gaza and spreading to Lebanon, I just keep pointing out that allowing Trump back in the White House will be worse for Gaza and worse for anything left wing.

                • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.worldEnglish
                  17·
                  1 day ago

                  My narrative is that people who argue that caring about Gaza of caring about left wing issues means you should exclude yourself from deciding between Kamala Harris and Donald “best King of Israel” Trump are trumpers.

                  You know I’m not one of those people. And yet, since you can’t abide anyone being unhappy about genocide, you keep pretending I am.

      • Chapelgentry@lemmynsfw.comEnglish
        194·
        1 day ago

        Yeah, super ignorant take that purported lefties on Lemmy are playing spoiler under the guise of condemning genocide.

        The post was for astroturfing fucks on Lemmy. Way to miss the point.

        • Tinidril@midwest.socialEnglish
          38·
          1 day ago

          Read your comment that I responded to. There is no indication whatsoever that you aren’t among the large contingency that actually thinks these freaks are leftists. When you mimic idiotic Democratic establishment talking points, you will get treated like a Democratic establishment idiot.

          Way to fail to make the point.

            • Tinidril@midwest.socialEnglish
              22·
              1 day ago

              Dude, it was you who claimed I “missed the point” and explained what your point was. Had you not originally buried your point in sarcasm that was indistinguishable from Democratic establishment douchebagery this might have been a very different conversation.

              Right wing operatives are trying to drive wedges and your playing right into their strategy. Most of the “undecided” rhetoric comes from or is amplified by right wing bots, as does the worst of the establishment scolding. I’m all for calling out the trolls, as long as your not doing their work by not making it clear who your attacking.

              We want the same thing in November, but I don’t think your attitude is helping us get there.

              • Chapelgentry@lemmynsfw.comEnglish
                4·
                1 day ago

                To be clear - the “leftists” I mentioned above aren’t really leftists. Next time I’ll add the /s next to it to be clear. The whole point of the post was to call out bad faith actors.

                Then you came in missing the point.

                Now as I understand it, you’re suggesting I word my posts better so you catch the sarcasm?

                Nah, fam. Thanks though.

                • Tinidril@midwest.socialEnglish
                  11·
                  20 hours ago

                  You decline, but at least putting “leftists” in quotes is an improvement.

                  If you can’t be distinguished from the bad faith posts other bots make purporting to be liberals, I guess you’ll just save them the trouble of doing it themselves.

      • DancingBear@midwest.social
        66·
        1 day ago

        Democrats are losing to a multiple convicted felon con man who can’t form complete sentences

        But they refuse to change anything in their campaign while they attack their own base and try to shame them into voting dem. It’s really pathetic.

        • Tinidril@midwest.socialEnglish
          51·
          1 day ago

          Oh, I agree. Every time Hillary pops her head up this is what she does, and Obama is only better because he knows how to be subtle.

          On the other hand, right wing trolls are also driving this message, and being even more obnoxious than Hillary.

          The pattern through all of modern history is one of liberals failing to address rising fascism because socialism is what scares them more. Then the fascists win, the system implodes because fascists are incompetent, maybe a few million people die, then the liberals return to start the cycle over. It’s pathetic that liberals can’t stop repeating this tragedy over and over again.

  • N0body@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    1014·
    2 days ago

    it’s quite different from Trump’s bombastic rhetoric: He has repeatedly said that Israel has to “finish the job.” The former president’s Friday comments appear to be an attempt to paint Biden, and by extension, Harris, as being less supportive of Israel than him

    Trump wants genocide escalated and completed on a faster timetable. If you don’t think that includes the West Bank in the long-term plan, you’re being naive.

    Biden is trying to get a ceasefire deal from a madman. Harris needs to win the election and can’t if Israel turns against her. Trump actively wants to commit accelerated genocide on Palestinians.

    Anyone who is pro-Palestinian and is thinking about voting for Trump needs to be aware of the long-term consequences.

    • ReallyActuallyFrankenstein@lemmynsfw.comEnglish
      27·
      1 day ago

      Anyone who is pro-Palestinian and is thinking about voting for Trump needs to be aware of the long-term consequences.

      *Anyone who is pro-Palestine and is thinking about not voting or voting for anyone other than Harris, just to be clear.

      The foundational lesson of the trolley problem is not about the effects of the two options, it’s that not pulling the lever is a choice too.

      Third-party voters, I know the psychological reaction to being told you “have to” vote for Harris causes you to dig in further, to be more contrarian. I know the feeling. So to be clear, you don’t have to do anything. But we can’t escape the ethical and moral effects of a choice not to mitigate harm. The dominos are lined up, pushing the one that says “Stein” or “No choice” will cause the one that says “Trump” to fall, it’s as simple as that. Our moral culpability doesn’t end at the ballot box, it ends at the end of rational foreseeability.

      The right takes an oversimplified view of reality to avoid confronting complicated truths. Don’t be the same by thinking if we ignore a difficult moral choice, it goes away. Trump is telling you what he plans to do. Stopping him is a moral imperative if you want to save as much life as possible.

    • Saleh@feddit.org
      511·
      1 day ago

      Biden is not trying to get a ceasefire deal from Netanyahu. If you are a parent and your kid is stabbing people, the way to go about it is not to say “please stop” and then hand them another knife.

      Biden wants this to continue. The rest is rhetoric to make it look different. But every single supposed red line was crossed by Israel. Every time Biden said something bad about Netanyahu, he continued the arms shipments and reiterated how Israel is just defending itself hurr durr.

      Now the US stationed some more soldiers in Israel to create a probable reason to escalate to war with Iran. Harris has reiterated that she stands by the side of Israel.

      Meanwhile US law prohibits sending weapons to countries that hinder US aid, which is evident with Israel. The Biden admin is breaking US law. They could have stopped the weapons deliveries and they could have went on to let the legal system go rampage on the Reps still pushing for it.

      They could have created the political situation to have decided the election in their favor many months ago. But they would rather have Trump take presidency again, than to stop Israel murdering more Arabs.

    • SpaceCowboy@lemmy.ca
      3·
      22 hours ago

      Are we really being upset about a line moving up a couple of pixels when we’re talking about polling on Trump? The polls have never been accurate on Trump and besides that there really isn’t really a model for a convicted felon that tried to overthrow democracy running in a Presidential election. Nobody will know what the numbers are until the votes are counted.

      No matter what the polls say it doesn’t change what needs to be done. Vote. Support the Harris campaign in whatever way you’re able to. If Trump was polling at 60% or if he was polling at 30% it wouldn’t change what needs to be done.

      Vote.

      • vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works
        10·
        2 days ago

        Yeah, polls much like any mathematics based discipline are susceptible to garbage in garbage out. You can have the perfect model but if the raw data put into it is shit then all youll get out of it is shit.

    • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
      215·
      1 day ago

      And yet, if comments on this site are to be believed, he’s still also getting the, “We refuse to vote Democrat because we’re against the genocide!” crowd (sorry guys, but not voting or voting third party is a vote for Trump. You cannot escape it).

      • UltraGiGaGigantic@lemmy.mlEnglish
        1·
        1 hour ago

        You cannot escape it

        With state level electoral reform we can “escape” FirstPast The Post voting and the spoiler effect that comes along with it. Why dont democrats, who bring up the faults of of the voting system every election, pass this much needed reform in states they control?

        The DNC would prefer trump torching the country over having to compete for your vote.

    • geekwithsoul@lemm.eeOPEnglish
      208·
      2 days ago

      True. I think it’s more about whether Harris can pull in the “genocide bad” folks, or loses them to third-party protest votes. Of course if any of those folks were paying attention to the crap coming out of Trump’s mouth, they’d understand how much worse Trump will be. I had folks (hexbear and .ml of course) on a different post telling me that not only would Harris and Trump be the same on this, but that Harris would actually be worse. And of course they’re willfully ignoring how bad Trump would be on everything else.

      I have a suspicion that part of what’s pushing Harris’ campaign strategy right now to focus on courting more “centrists” is that they know whatever she did to appeal to the left that’s not voting for her would never be enough to satisfy them. Far easier to court the middle with straightforward messaging than to appeal to a voting bloc that is already determined to hate anyone that’s not as chaotic as they are.

      • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1323·
        2 days ago

        True. I think it’s more about whether Harris can pull in the “genocide bad” folks

        I haven’t seen her try. Have you?

              • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.worldEnglish
                815·
                1 day ago

                That’s not what you are. It’s ALL you are. When you support genocide, it defines everything about you as a person.

                • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
                  54·
                  19 hours ago

                  It’s so frustrating,… Because I want Harris to win so bad for the sake of the Palestinian people (among other things), and yet, some part of me just wishes there was some way for you to see the outcome of your idiotic actions without having to kill millions of Palestinians, Lebanese, and other Arabs. Some way for you you realize just how fucking stupid it is to do anything that would help Trump win.

                  Or maybe not you, but someone who actually gives a shit about those people and is considering not voting or throwing their vote away by voting third party… Because, frankly, I don’t even believe you.

        • geekwithsoul@lemm.eeOPEnglish
          155·
          2 days ago

          Thanks for proving my point.

          Not that you’ll read it, but I think this might help explain:

          https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2024/09/kamala-harris-israel-policy-palestine-gaza-war.html

          Perhaps Harris’ loudest statement, however, was prefaced by her absence. Shortly after getting the nod from Biden in July, Harris snubbed Netanyahu, skipping his speech to Congress. (She spoke to a Black sorority, instead.) The next day, she met privately with him—later describing their talk as “frank and productive,” words that your boss might use after a performance review goes poorly.

          The reaction to her remarks was underwhelming at the time, but the remarks themselves were extraordinary. “We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering” of Palestinians in Gaza, “and I will not be silent,” she told reporters and cameras. “Israel has a right to defend itself—but how it does so matters.” It was as close as a sitting vice president could possibly come to reading Netanyahu for filth without creating a diplomatic crisis.

          • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.worldEnglish
            1018·
            2 days ago

            Her messaging regarding unconditional support for the genocide all centrists love is more convincing than subtle hints that slate has to speculate about.

            • geekwithsoul@lemm.eeOPEnglish
              157·
              2 days ago

              A nuanced take as always /s

              Did you even get to the end of the article or did you just read the headline?

              Harris has very little room to maneuver, however, without losing a huge part of her base and the party machinery that are still deeply attached to Israel. There is only so much a candidate and sitting vice president can do or say to break with the position held by her staunchly Zionist president, a Democratic establishment beholden to the pro-Israel lobby and AIPAC, and a broad swath of her liberal base that strongly supports Israel and its war. If she’s serious about getting elected, she has to withhold the kind of unambiguous statement—or action—that pro-Palestine activists demand. So she’s reduced to tone of voice, oblique gestures, a message hidden between the lines.

              • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.worldEnglish
                1016·
                2 days ago

                Did you even get to the end of the article or did you just read the headline?

                I read the article. I don’t buy excuses and apologia when we’re talking about literal genocide. I also regard with earned disgust anyone who makes such excuses.

                The whole “she absolutely can’t differ from Biden in any way except for these subtle hints we speculate about” thing is garbage. She’s not the secretary of state. She’s not running everything behind the scenes like Dick Cheney, though she seems to have garnered his approval, and it speaks volumes that centrists were so goddamned happy about his endorsement. In any event, she is free to differ on foreign policy and chooses not to.

                I’m still voting for her. I’m going to be at the polls this coming Monday, which is when early voting opens here in Texas. I have every right to criticize her for supporting Netanyahu’s genocide, even if Netanyahu’s apologists want me to buy that she has shown any opposition whatsoever to the only policy centrists seriously hold.

                • geekwithsoul@lemm.eeOPEnglish
                  117·
                  2 days ago

                  Okay, let’s play this out. What exactly do you want her to say? Specifically. Because it’s not like as VP she can do anything about it directly. So this is just going to be a statement, right?

                  Let’s say as part of that statement, she says Israel should get no more aid. That would be the crux of it, correct? And Biden then has to come out and say, that’s not happening while I’m President. Factions within the Democrats withdraw funding and support from her campaign. And the Iranians start actually drooling about being able to basically act unopposed. Hezbollah gets some shiny new missiles to kill more civilians. Centrists withdraw support from Harris and more than likely sit out the election, though a few may move over to Trump. November 6 rolls around and Trump wins, the region is even more of a shitshow than it is now, and just as important, Palestinians will still be dying. And under Trump it will get much, much worse.

                  Or…she tries to thread a very small needle, gets elected, and can the come to the bargaining table as the newly sworn-in President. She still has to juggle a bunch of different interests, but as President she has the power to do more than make statements and has quite a bit of latitude when it comes to foreign policy. Harris wouldn’t have been my top choice, or even in my top 5, but I can honestly say I can’t believe she won’t make saving Palestinian lives a priority, unlike Biden. But she can’t do it as a candidate.

  • brucethemoose@lemmy.world
    54·
    2 days ago

    From a purely strategic perspective, is this wise of Trump?

    My impression is that even many American Jewish people don’t like Netanyahu. And he doesn’t need to remind anti-Harris protest voters that he’s even more anti Palestine. Many MAGA diehards don’t even like Netanyahu.

    Like… who is he appealing to? Older Republicans, I guess, who remember Israel’s early days?