C’mon Kamala, stick to what you know!
Basking in the cheers of her few loyal fans, Vice President Kamala Harris, in her most authoritative and solemn voice, took a stab at playing the serious “Stateswoman” while standing at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama on Sunday, saying, “Given the immense scale of suffering in Gaza, there must be an immediate ceasefire.”
She then went on, with a grief-stricken inflection, reminding everyone that, “just a few days ago, we saw hungry, desperate people, simply trying to secure food for their families after weeks of nearly no aid, and they were met with gunfire and chaos. Our hearts break for the victims of that horrific tragedy.”
Yet, while she so caringly expressed the sadness and sympathy, she purports to feel for hungry Gazans, her speech sorely lacks context, background and, most of all, conviction which comes from being well-acquainted with the facts and the willingness to lay them out in a way which memorializes the events that led up to this humanitarian tragedy, instigated by the leaders of those she claims are suffering the most.
Predictably, she ends her message by saying that “the Israeli government must do more to significantly increase the flow of aid – no excuses.” Yet, she never explains why that burden of feeding and caring for the people, who danced in the street and distributed sweets, upon hearing the news of the October 7th massacre, should fall upon the government of those who were brutally and savagely slaughtered.
This is the personal conviction that is so desperately missing from the empty words, which someone, undoubtedly scripted for her. Kamala, not known for her preparedness or being able to speak extemporaneously on matters of foreign policy, or even national policy, for that matter, is not able to hold her own in situations like this. Had she opened up a forum for reporters, giving them an opportunity to put forth questions to her, she might have been asked why she thinks it’s prudent to engage in a ceasefire, prior to catching the mastermind from whom terrorists take their orders.
More than likely, she would not have been able to go into any detail as to why it would be beneficial for Israel to preserve the remaining tunnels, which would still remain intact were we to exit mid-stream, or why Hamas operatives should continue to launch rockets from their underground control centers, straight into the heart of the Jewish homeland, displacing Israeli citizens who, as yet, have not been able to return to their homes.
And what about the more than two million Gazans who, although having lost everything, are still said to be Hamas loyalists, willing to vote for them again if an election were held tomorrow? Is that not convincing enough to realize the depth of hatred they hold for Israel and her citizens?
These are just some of the many complex layers of “context” that were missing from an uninformed politician whose only considerations are her popularity levels, as well as making sure that her constituency, mostly made up of die-hard progressives and Woke individuals, are happy with her responses – the ones that coincide with their twisted opinions.
It’s sad to say, but Kamala Harris represents the majority of today’s politicians who are largely dedicated to preserving their own power base, willing to say or do anything that will keep them there. No one exemplifies that more than Joe Biden, a man who probably did think it was the correct thing to support Israel’s right to defend themselves, to the end, in order to take out the terrorists who made it clear that they intend to strike again and again until they have succeeded in liberating the land from the river to the sea.
Yet, the moment he was confronted by the angry progressives within his party, who threatened to pull back their support of his 2024 candidacy in his bid for a second term of his presidency, the once unequivocal backing became more and more muted until he, too, called for an immediate ceasefire, casting doubt and criticism as to how Israel’s military forces were conducting themselves in battle.
Realizing that he, also, stood to lose his power, he had no problem pivoting from an all-out championing of Israel to finger-wagging and harsh condemnation of a democratic nation that has always been committed to exercising the highest standards of moral clarity and ethics in their dealings, unlike the enemy which has planned and plotted the cruel and vicious death of whole, unsuspecting families as they raided their homes and burned down their communities.
Only a cold and callous politician would be incapable of seeing the profound differences between barbaric terrorists and people who strive to respect others, care for the downtrodden, come to the immediate aid of other countries in need, after having suffered natural disasters and who, through their creative genius, have sought to better all mankind.
Yes! Only a calculating and self-interested politician who craves the limelight and the many perks that come with being among the most powerful in all the world, would not be able to properly identify those who have taken on the fight of our time – one which will ensure security and safety for all nations. Rather than profusely thank them and express undying gratitude, such a politician would, instead, reduce their critical fight to a level playing field, attempting to show the world that the other side is now being victimized by those who are fighting for civilized humanity.
Even now, as I write this article, alarms are sounding in Sderot and other nearby communities of Israel’s south, on the same day that a resumption of school has occurred. How would Kamala respond to those families who, after five months, have finally returned home, only to be faced with having to run to their bomb shelters within 15 seconds? Kamala is completely unfamiliar with that way of life, and, consequently, cannot even imagine the fear and anxiety associated with such a stressful existence. Her biggest worry in life is what color pantsuit to wear for her next engagement.
In short, Kamala should leave the heavy lifting of foreign policy to those who have a bit more knowledge and experience than what she, herself, brings to the table, because until she is able to personalize the true nature of the conflict or comprehend the vital work which is being done by the IDF soldiers, who are daily putting their lives on the line, not just for us, but for the next victims of Hamas terrorism, then it’s preferable to stick to appearances which don’t demand too much gravitas – because Kamala is truly not up to it!
A former Jerusalem elementary and middle-school principal who made Aliyah in 1993 and became a member of Kibbutz Reim but now lives in the center of the country with her husband. She is the author of Mistake-Proof Parenting, based on the principles from the book of Proverbs - available on Amazon.