Kamala Harris has a different view on Gaza to Joe Biden – it could win her votes in November

By Andrew Payne, City, University of London

Benjamin Netanyahu’s July visit to Washington has placed the political spotlight on divisions within the Democratic party over the war in Gaza. After Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential race, the presumptive Democratic nominee, Kamala Harris, inherits a politically thorny issue. It’s an issue that has plagued the president since the Hamas attacks in October 2023.

Harris will need to strike a difficult balance between explaining how she would chart a distinctive path on Israel and Palestine, while also defending the record of an administration in which she still serves.

The vice president’s record on the issue so far – and her decision not to preside over Netanyahu’s speech in Congress – have stoked hopes in progressive circles that the she may adopt a tougher position towards Israel. Such a shift could be vital in convincing pro-Palestinian voters disillusioned with Biden to turn out for her in November.

Vice presidents tend to toe the party line on foreign affairs. But Harris has been unusually outspoken on US policy towards the Middle East. In December, for example, she delivered a speech in Dubai after meeting with leaders of several Arab states, in which she expressed concern about the scale of civilian suffering in Gaza.

She did reaffirm the Biden administration’s position regarding Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas. But she also insisted that “international humanitarian law must be respected”, implying that Israel’s conduct risked falling short of that standard. “As Israel defends itself, it matters how,” she said.

In March, Harris was the first senior administration official to call for an “immediate ceasefire”. She was again sharp in her criticism of the Israeli government’s handling of the humanitarian dimensions of its war, which had led to “inhumane conditions” in Gaza.

In remarks that were strong enough to prompt National Security Council officials to intervene and tone them down, Harris declared:

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