US Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has defended the need for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and an agreement for the release of hostages. “This is the moment,” the US vice president said in response to some pro-Palestinian protesters who interrupted her rally this Friday in Glendale, Arizona, shouting “Free Palestine.”
“The time has come to reach a ceasefire agreement and the release of the hostages. The President [Joe Biden] and I work tirelessly every day to get this deal done. So I respect your opinions, but we're here to talk about the 2024 presidential race,” Harris said.
The Democratic candidate thus displayed a much more diplomatic attitude than that displayed this week in the face of a similar incident, when she nipped the protests in the bud with a resounding “I speak.” On this occasion, Harris insistently reiterated the position of the Biden administration, which has been defending the need for a ceasefire for several months, even presenting its own plan, even if it has not yet had the conditions accepted by Israel.
The US presidential candidate made the remarks at a rally on Friday. with his running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walzat an event in Glendale, 9 miles northwest of Phoenix, as part of a tour of key states. Event organizers said nearly 15,000 people filled the stands.
Arizona, the only swing state that borders Mexico, has become a coveted prize for White House hopefuls who know every vote counts there. In 2020, it fell to the Democrats by just 11,000 votes and with the help of Latino voters, a victory not seen since former President Bill Clinton won in 1996.
“It's not like 2016 or 2020, this time the risks are even greater (…) Remember that Donald Trump has openly acknowledged that if he is re-elected, he will be a dictator from day one,” Harris told her supporters. According to the US vice president, the country faces the crucial question of “what kind of country do we want to live in when the November 5 elections come?” “Do we want to live in a country of chaos, fear and hate, or a country of freedom, compassion and beauty? The beauty of our democracy is that each of us has the power to answer that question. The power is in the hands of the people,” he said.
Hours after Harris' words, More than a hundred people have been killed in the Gaza Stripduring an Israeli army attack on a school that was serving as a shelter for displaced people.