Washington, DC – Vice President Kamala Harris says she will “not be silent” in the face of Palestinian suffering, as Israel’s war in Gaza rages on.

But Palestinian rights advocates want to know exactly what that means for United States foreign policy.

The vice president — and the Democrats’ likely nominee for the presidency — emphasised the plight of Palestinians in Gaza after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday. Nevertheless, she pledged ongoing support for Israel.

Activists say expressing sympathy for Palestinians without pursuing a meaningful shift away from the US’s policy of unconditional military and diplomatic support will not help Harris win back voters alienated by President Joe Biden’s approach to the war.

“Without an actual commitment to stop killing the children of Gaza, I don’t care about her empathy for them,” said Eman Abdelhadi, a sociologist at the University of Chicago. She stressed that the US bears “responsibility” for the atrocities committed against Palestinians.

“To be empathetic to someone that you’re shooting in the head is not exactly laudable. We don’t need empathy from these people. We need them to stop providing the weapons and the money that is actively killing the people that they’re supposedly empathising with.”

  • Timii
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    2 months ago

    I won’t reciprocate your personal attacks. Perpetual revenge isn’t my kink. I’ll just leave your comment there as a monument to your side’s ability to see reason, seek and accept true justice, and not excuse reprehensible behaviour with false tu quoques.

    • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Perpetual revenge isn’t my kink.

      I guess you just back the world champions of oppression and disproportionate retribution for nonsexual reasons, then. That’s slightly better, I guess 🤷

      I’ll just leave your comment there as a monument to your side’s ability to see reason

      Your version of “seeing reason” is genocide denial. Stop trying to gaslight me with your Hasbara nonsense, please.

      seek and accept true justice

      That’s exactly what I’m doing ffs 🤦

      not excuse reprehensible behaviour

      Such as genocide with a side of deliberately targeting aid workers, healthcare workers and journalists trying to show the world what’s happening? This you?