Walz Supports Gaza Demonstrators' Reasons, Condemns Hamas

AP Vice presidential candidate Tim Walz stated on Thursday that those protesting American support for Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza have valid reasons. His remarks came during an interview with a Michigan public radio station, a state with a significant Muslim American population and a crucial swing state in the upcoming November election.

Walz's comments seemed to indicate a tonal shift, though not a policy change, from the firm support for Israel expressed by Vice President Kamala Harris at the Democratic National Convention last month. He described the October 7 attack by Hamas as "a horrific act of violence against the people of Israel," affirming Israel's right to self-defense. However, he also emphasized that "we can't allow what's happened in Gaza to happen. The Palestinian people have every right to life and liberty themselves."

Balancing Support for Israel and Humanitarian Concerns

During the interview, Walz was questioned about how a Harris administration might handle the nearly 11-month Israel-Hamas conflict and whether she would diverge from President Joe Biden's approach. Biden has supported Israel while attempting to broker a ceasefire and secure the release of hostages held by Hamas.

Harris has spoken more passionately about the plight of Palestinian civilians in Gaza than Biden. In a statement following the identification of hostages' bodies, she said, "the threat Hamas poses to the people of Israel—and American citizens in Israel—must be eliminated and that Hamas cannot control Gaza."

At a vigil for the hostages at his synagogue in Washington on Tuesday, Harris's husband Doug Emhoff expressed his anguish. "I haven't been able to stop thinking about Hersh and his parents, or about the five others and their families," he said. "This is hard. I feel raw. I'm gutted."

Outreach to Arab and Muslim American Leaders

The Harris campaign has intensified its outreach to Arab and Muslim American leaders in Michigan. This effort aims to regain support from a community that felt neglected by Biden after months of outreach yielded few results. Some leaders have shown willingness to engage, while others have had initial discussions with Harris's team.

Harris previously noted that "the war in Gaza is not a binary issue." She stressed that the conversation often becomes binary when reality is much more complex.

Hostage families have accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of obstructing a deal and potentially sacrificing their loved ones to maintain control over a strip along Gaza's border with Egypt, known as the Philadelphi corridor. This week, hundreds of thousands of Israelis protested, demanding a deal to bring hostages home alive.

Biden mentioned this week that negotiations are ongoing. Harris and Biden met earlier this week in the White House Situation Room with the US hostage deal negotiating team.

Walz did not mention the six hostages executed last week in Gaza by Hamas as Israeli forces approached nor did he address protests involving violence and vandalism often directed at Jewish Americans.

Despite appearing more forceful on civilian issues in Gaza, Harris aligns with Biden on efforts to arm Israel and negotiate a hostage deal and ceasefire.

The Democratic ticket seeks to balance its support for Israel with addressing humanitarian concerns in Gaza as they approach the November election.