VICTOR JOECKS: On Israel, Harris parallels 2008 Obama on marriage

On the surface, Obama claimed to support traditional marriage in 2008. “I believe that marriage is the union between a man and a woman,” he told pastor Rick Warren at the time.

That was a lie. In 2015, his political adviser David Axelrod admitted that Obama was in favor of gay marriage the whole time. He lied to advance his political career. “Opposition to gay marriage was particularly strong in the Black church, and as he ran for higher office, he grudgingly accepted the counsel of more pragmatic folks like me,” Mr. Axelrod wrote in his book with the unintentionally ironic title of “Believer.”

See if you can spot the parallels.

Harris claims to support Israel. In a March speech, she said, “I have said repeatedly since Oct. 7, Israel has a right to defend itself.”

Jewish voters have overwhelmingly supported Democrats for decades. In 2020, surveys showed they favored Joe Biden by around 40 points over Donald Trump. That margin matters in swing states with sizable Jewish populations such as Pennsylvania and Nevada.

Harris needs strong support from Jewish voters. Many of them care deeply about stopping antisemitism domestically and maintaining U.S. support for Israel as it fights Hamas. But if you look beneath the surface, Harris’ disdain for Israel is obvious.

For one, she reflexively validates Hamas propaganda. Last weekend, the Israeli air force killed 31 terrorists who had gathered at a compound with a school and mosque. The IDF said it proceeded only after its intelligence confirmed there were no women or children in the targeted building. Hamas officials, however, quickly claimed Israel killed more than 90 people, including civilians.

There are plenty of reasons to trust Israel’s military. It’s our ally. It has a democratically elected government and a free press. Hamas is a terrorist group that frequently exaggerates casualty numbers knowing they’ll be parroted by gullible Western leftists.

That group includes Harris. In response to a question on the incident, she said, “Yet again, there are far too many civilians who have been killed.” She added, Israel has “an important responsibility to avoid civilian casualties.”

Harris puts Israel in a double bind. Hamas puts its military infrastructure in and around civilian buildings. When Israel exercises its “right to defend itself,” it can inadvertently kill civilians. Instead of blasting Hamas for its cowardly actions, Harris smacks Israel. The pressure she puts on Israel is an example of why Hamas uses human shields.

There are more clues Harris will undermine Israel. In June, she boycotted a congressional speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This month, she met with leftists in Michigan who want an arms embargo on Israel. Her new Jewish liaison, Ilan Goldenberg, spent the past several months working to impose sanctions on Israelis.

Harris won’t even stand up vigorously to antisemites on the left despite her husband being Jewish. Hamas sympathizers pressured her not to pick Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro as her running mate. He’s Jewish. She picked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who has praised imam Asad Zaman as a “master teacher.” Zaman once promoted a pro-Hitler video and declared “solidarity with Palestinians” after the Oct. 7 massacre. This summer, Harris said, “I understand the emotion behind” antisemitic protests on college campuses. In July, pro-Hamas rioters in Washington, D.C., burned the American flag to protest Netanyahu’s visit. Harris waited until the next day to condemn them.

If you can’t see where Harris is headed, Obama probably duped you on marriage in 2008.

Trump was the most pro-Israel president in American history. Harris would be the most pro-Hamas.

Contact Victor Joecks at vjoecks@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4698. Follow @victorjoecks on X.