Palestinians in Gaza and the preoccupied West Deposit say a United States presidency below Kamala Harris would do minute to halt Israel’s warfare on Gaza next US President Joe Biden’s choice to leave his re-election bid.
Below Biden, america has supplied its best friend Israel with billions of bucks in army backup since October 7. Many Palestinians be expecting Harris, who’s Biden’s vice chairman and a Democrat, to proceed supporting Israel if she is elected president in November.
On the similar presen, many Palestinians worry that Republican candidate and previous President Donald Trump will handiest exacerbate their struggling if he returns to energy.
“Trump would be the worst,” Asmaa Nimilaat, 50, stated from a sanatorium the place 1000’s of public are sheltering in Deir el-Balah, an segment in central Gaza. “But any candidate that becomes president will not support Palestinians.”
Since Hamas-led assaults on Israeli communities and army outposts on October 7, by which 1,139 public have been killed and 250 taken captive, Israel has introduced a awful warfare on Gaza with American backup.
Israel’s warfare has killed no less than 39,090 Palestinians, uprooted the vast majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million public and generated frequent starvation and malnutrition within the besieged enclave.
The warfare has ruled world headlines for 9 months, enabling Israel to quietly grasp extra land within the preoccupied West Deposit than throughout any alternative yr within the day 3 many years.
Palestinians blame 81-year-old Biden for his “weak” management and for abetting Israel.
“Biden brought American machines to protect the Israeli occupation and used American vetoes [in the United Nations Security Council] to protect Israel’s genocidal policies,” stated Raed Debiy, the pinnacle of the political science branch at An-Najah Nationwide College in Nablus within the West Deposit.
“Since the [Hamas] attack in October, America has dealt with Israel like it’s the 51st [US state],” he informed Al Jazeera.
‘More of the same’
Nearest Biden’s endorsement of Harris to rush his park within the presidential race, Harris has gathered important backup from contributors of her birthday party in addition to from the broader American family. Harris has endorsements from greater than 2,500 delegates, enough quantity to win the nomination at upcoming day’s Democratic Nationwide Conference, the place the birthday party’s presidential nominee will probably be introduced.
However Palestinians are sceptical of a imaginable Harris presidency because of her heat historical past with the American Israel People Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a pro-Israel lobbying staff that has for years advocated for unconditional US backup to Israel.
In 2017, Harris spoke at the yearly AIPAC convention and pledged to conserve Israel’s proper to “self-defence” and shield US-Israeli army cooperation. The United States provides Israel about $3.3bn in army backup once a year.
Fathi Nimr, a Palestinian political analyst residing in Ramallah within the West Deposit, informed Al Jazeera that he does now not see a big shift in US coverage if Harris turns into president.
“There is no indication that Harris had disagreements with Biden about [Israel’s war on Gaza],” he informed Al Jazeera.
“I think it will be more of the same,” he stated. “Kamala isn’t an outsider that will come in to challenge the status quo.”
Some Palestinians consider Harris would possibly no less than be a little bit “tougher” on Israeli Top Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom many accuse of continuous the warfare on Gaza to lengthen nationwide elections at a presen when his recognition is at an rock bottom.
Ismat Mansour, who spent twenty years in Israeli prisons, referred to how Biden has stated he considers himself a Zionist, stating that he has an “emotional attachment” with Israel, which makes Harris extra interesting to Palestinians compared.
“I’m not expecting a big change in US policy,” he informed Al Jazeera. “But maybe Harris would work with the UN more and pressure Netanyahu to do a [captive] deal and to find a solution for Gaza because the entire world has an interest in restoring stability in the region.”
![[Atia Darwish/Al Jazeera]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/0U2A8367-1721663613.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C513)
‘Stop the genocide’
Many Palestinians in Gaza informed Al Jazeera they don’t help that Biden will not search re-election or who in the long run turns into US president so long as the upcoming US chief stops the warfare in Gaza. Ibrahim Nabeel, a volunteer medic in a sanatorium in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, is between the two of them.
Nabeel stated he’s distressed via how steadily he sees our bodies delivered to the sanatorium. On Monday, Israeli warplanes bombed japanese Khan Younis, killing no less than 70 Palestinians and wounding greater than 200, in line with Gaza condition officers.
Nabeel stated Palestinians in Gaza simply need the upcoming US president to talk about “safety, freedom and healing” instead than Israel’s proper to “self-defence”.
“Honestly, Palestinians really don’t care who the next US president will be. They just want whoever it is to stop the genocide,” he informed Al Jazeera.
Few public in Gaza, alternatively, are hopeful that the warfare will forbid any presen quickly.
Salah Abu Maghseeb, 25, who sells beverages on the gate of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Health facility in Deir el-Balah, informed Al Jazeera that america will all the time backup Israel irrespective of who’s in energy. The warfare on Gaza would have completed “a long time ago” if america had simply suspended its backup, he stated as he brewed a cup of espresso for a buyer.
“With American support, Israel is the most powerful killer of the Arab people,” Abu Maghseeb stated.
Nimilaat, who’s sheltering in the similar sanatorium, added that Netanyahu would possibly handiest pay attention to a US president if that chief is keen to store him responsible.
“Netanyahu doesn’t listen. Nobody gets through to him – not Biden nor anybody else,” she stated. “Why? Because nobody [in America] is willing to use their leverage to stop him.”