An Open Letter To Vice President Kamala Harris On US Middle East Policy

Mel Gurtov\ PeaceVoice Photos: YouTube Screenshots Dear Madam Vice President: In a phone call with Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this month, Donald Trump said: “Do what you have to do,” according to six people familiar with the conversation.  You should be all over that comment, which amounts to an unqualified endorsement of any Israeli military action it is taking or will take against Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran. Yet Trump is said to be making inroads among Arab American voters, whose anger at President Biden’s inability to stop Netanyahu from seeking “total victory” has alienated many of them from you. Trump’s comment provides an opening for you to distance yourself just enough from the President to assuage the concerns of Arab Americans. I believe you can take a more independent stance that conveys that, as President, you would restore control of US policy consistent with our interests and values. Here is what you might say: “Donald Trump has given Israel’s government a green light to do whatever it wants in the war. That is an immoral and foolhardy policy. It surrenders our interests and undermines our values. As President, I would never give an ally a blank check when it is at...