Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a presidential debate with U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, Sept. 10, 2024. (Credit: Saul Loeb/AFP)
It's the first time they meet in a formal setting. As Vice President Kamala Harris arrived on set on Tuesday evening, she made her way to her presidential opponent, Republican candidate Donald Trump to shake his hand. The gesture, though unexpected, set a tone for their Nov. 5 debate. While many observers deemed the Democratic candidate the winner, Trump supporters criticized ABC journalists for perceived bias. Despite the intense exchange, the debate does not appear to have significantly altered the dynamics of the closely contested presidential race. Both candidates addressed key issues, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, abortion, immigration, the economy, and Ukraine.
In her speech, Harris reiterated her long-standing positions on the Gaza war. She expressed her support for a cease-fire while reaffirming her commitment to continuing military support for Israel and backing a two-state solution. The Biden administration, acting as mediator, is intensifying efforts to broker a truce and facilitate the release of hostages held in Gaza — while notably refusing to leverage arm deliveries to force their ally's hand. However, with the conflict now in its twelfth month and cease-fire talks stalled, Israel's military campaign has killed over 41,000 Palestinians in the enclave.
Defense of Israel
"Israel has the right to defend itself... how it does so matters because it is also true far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed — children, mothers. What we know is that this war must end," declared Harris, recycling a speech she had made previously. Recently, the Biden administration approved several arms sales worth $20 billion to Israel, including F-15 fighter jets, AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, 120 mm tank ammunition, high-explosive mortars and tactical vehicles.
Accused by Trump of adopting an anti-Israeli stance, Harris strongly refuted the claim, stating, "I have my entire career and life supported Israel and the Israeli people."
Although neither candidate offered new proposals to end the Gaza war, Trump maintained that had he been in office on Oct. 7, 2023, the war "would have never started."
Some observers have suggested that the timing of the Hamas attack was linked to progress in talks to normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, mediated by the U.S. These talks stalled when the war began but have since slowly resumed. During his presidency, Trump brokered the signing of the Abraham Accords, moved the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and recognized Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.
'The whole place is going get blown up,' according to Trump
The former Republican President alleged that if Harris won the election, "Israel will not exist within two years from now," accusing her of "hating" Israel. He added, "She wouldn't even meet with Netanyahu when he came to Congress to make a very important speech," referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address in Washington at the end of July, which Harris, as Senate president, did not attend due to a previously scheduled speech in Indianapolis.
While many viewed her absence as a snub to Netanyahu, particularly since she has been more critical of his conduct in the war than President Joe Biden, Harris met with Netanyahu later that week at the White House. Netanyahu also visited Trump during his U.S. trip, with Trump delivering an ambiguous stance on the war, calling for a swift end to the conflict while also criticizing any move that might damage the special relationship between Washington and Tel Aviv.
Trump further claimed that Harris "also hates the Arab population," adding, "The whole place is going to get blown up — Arabs, Jewish people, Israel. Israel will be gone."
To highlight what he sees as the Biden administration's failures in the Middle East, Trump alleged that U.S. sanctions on Iran, imposed during his presidency, had been lifted, enabling Tehran to fund Hamas and Hezbollah. This statement, however, does not reflect the current U.S. policy towards Tehran. On the threat posed by Iran, Harris assured, "I will always give Israel the ability to defend itself, in particular as it relates to Iran and any threat that Iran and its proxies pose to Israel."
This article was originally published in French in L'Orient-Le Jour
