Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Financial institution say a United States presidency underneath Kamala Harris would do little to halt Israel’s conflict on Gaza after US President Joe Biden’s choice to drop his re-election bid.
Underneath Biden, the US has supplied its ally Israel with billions of {dollars} in army help since October 7. Many Palestinians count on Harris, who’s Biden’s vp and a Democrat, to proceed supporting Israel if she is elected president in November.
On the similar time, many Palestinians worry that Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump will solely exacerbate their struggling if he returns to energy.
“Trump could be the worst,” Asmaa Nimilaat, 50, stated from a hospital the place hundreds of persons are sheltering in Deir el-Balah, an space in central Gaza. “However any candidate that turns into president won’t assist Palestinians.”
Since Hamas-led assaults on Israeli communities and army outposts on October 7, by which 1,139 folks had been killed and 250 taken captive, Israel has launched a devastating conflict on Gaza with American assist.
Israel’s conflict has killed at the least 39,090 Palestinians, uprooted practically all of Gaza’s 2.3 million folks and generated widespread starvation and malnutrition within the besieged enclave.
The conflict has dominated worldwide headlines for 9 months, enabling Israel to quietly seize extra land within the occupied West Financial institution than throughout every other yr up to now three a long time.
Palestinians blame 81-year-old Biden for his “weak” management and for abetting Israel.
“Biden introduced American machines to guard the Israeli occupation and used American vetoes [in the United Nations Security Council] to guard Israel’s genocidal insurance policies,” stated Raed Debiy, the pinnacle of the political science division at An-Najah Nationwide College in Nablus within the West Financial institution.
“For the reason that [Hamas] assault in October, America has handled Israel prefer it’s the 51st [US state],” he advised Al Jazeera.
‘Extra of the identical’
After Biden’s endorsement of Harris to take his place within the presidential race, Harris has amassed important assist from members of her get together in addition to from the broader American public. Harris has endorsements from greater than 2,500 delegates, sufficient to win the nomination at subsequent month’s Democratic Nationwide Conference, the place the get together’s presidential nominee will likely be introduced.
However Palestinians are sceptical of a potential Harris presidency as a result of her heat historical past with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a pro-Israel lobbying group that has for years advocated for unconditional US assist to Israel.
In 2017, Harris spoke on the annual AIPAC convention and pledged to uphold Israel’s proper to “self-defence” and defend US-Israeli army cooperation. The US offers Israel about $3.3bn in army help yearly.
Fathi Nimr, a Palestinian political analyst residing in Ramallah within the West Financial institution, advised Al Jazeera that he doesn’t see a serious shift in US coverage if Harris turns into president.
“There is no such thing as a indication that Harris had disagreements with Biden about [Israel’s war on Gaza],” he advised Al Jazeera.
“I believe will probably be extra of the identical,” he stated. “Kamala isn’t an outsider that may are available in to problem the established order.”
Some Palestinians consider Harris could at the least be a bit “harder” on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom many accuse of continuous the conflict on Gaza to delay nationwide elections at a time when his reputation is at an all-time low.
Ismat Mansour, who spent 20 years in Israeli prisons, referred to how Biden has stated he considers himself a Zionist, mentioning that he has an “emotional attachment” with Israel, which makes Harris extra interesting to Palestinians as compared.
“I’m not anticipating an enormous change in US coverage,” he advised Al Jazeera. “However perhaps Harris would work with the UN extra and strain Netanyahu to do a [captive] deal and to discover a answer for Gaza as a result of your complete world has an curiosity in restoring stability within the area.”
![[Atia Darwish/Al Jazeera]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/0U2A8367-1721663613.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C513)
‘Cease the genocide’
Many Palestinians in Gaza advised Al Jazeera they don’t care that Biden will not search re-election or who finally turns into US president so long as the following US chief stops the conflict in Gaza. Ibrahim Nabeel, a volunteer medic in a hospital in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, is amongst them.
Nabeel stated he’s distressed by how continuously he sees our bodies dropped at the hospital. On Monday, Israeli warplanes bombed japanese Khan Younis, killing at the least 70 Palestinians and wounding greater than 200, in keeping with Gaza well being officers.
Nabeel stated Palestinians in Gaza simply need the following US president to discuss “security, freedom and therapeutic” quite than Israel’s proper to “self-defence”.
“Truthfully, Palestinians actually don’t care who the following US president will likely be. They simply need whoever it’s to cease the genocide,” he advised Al Jazeera.
Few folks in Gaza, nonetheless, are hopeful that the conflict will cease any time quickly.
Salah Abu Maghseeb, 25, who sells drinks on the gate of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah, advised Al Jazeera that the US will all the time assist Israel no matter who’s in energy. The conflict on Gaza would have completed “a very long time in the past” if the US had simply suspended its assist, he stated as he brewed a cup of espresso for a buyer.
“With American assist, Israel is probably the most highly effective killer of the Arab folks,” Abu Maghseeb stated.
Nimilaat, who’s sheltering in the identical hospital, added that Netanyahu could solely take heed to a US president if that chief is keen to carry him accountable.
“Netanyahu doesn’t pay attention. No one will get by way of to him – not Biden nor anyone else,” she stated. “Why? As a result of no person [in America] is keen to make use of their leverage to cease him.”