Vice President Kamala Harris might have just sealed her fate in Pennsylvania — just not in the way she intended.
After publicly agreeing with a heckler accusing Israel of genocide, the vice president signaled a desperate attempt to placate Arab American voters in a state where discontent with Democrats’ support of Israel has been growing and is likely irreversible. And in doing so, Harris continued to alienate another key demographic: Jewish voters. And it’s in Pennsylvania where she may pay the ultimate price.
At a campaign event in Wisconsin, a heckler yelled at Harris about Israel’s alleged war crimes, and Harris responded by saying, “What he’s talking about, it’s real.” The remark didn’t come off as an off-the-cuff response, but an affirmation of a false narrative designed to appease unhappy Arab American voters.
Her campaign only walked the statement back after her calculated response gained too much attention. But it wasn’t before it became the latest in a series of signals that the Democratic Party, once seen as a strong ally of Israel, is shifting under the weight of progressive voices who reject the Jewish state.
Harris, clearly aware that Michigan’s Arab American community has been growing increasingly frustrated with the Biden administration’s stance on Israel, is trying to walk a political tightrope. Michigan has one of the largest Arab American populations in the country, and in a race that could be won by a very small percentage of votes, this voting bloc yields power.
But it’s impossible to pacify this base without accusing Israel of genocide and Harris is already behind in Michigan. Former President Donald Trump is gaining momentum at the right time, making Harris’ chances of winning Michigan exceedingly slim — even with her appeasement strategy.
If placating Arab voters in Michigan is unlikely to land, what’s the cost? It’s Jewish voters in Pennsylvania and they could be a deciding factor. Harris is already struggling in Pennsylvania, a state more crucial than Michigan if she hopes to take the White House. Jewish voters in Pennsylvania, especially in the suburban regions around Philadelphia, have traditionally been a strong Democratic bloc. But there are signs of movement away from the party, and Harris’s recent comments may accelerate that shift.
