Harris to likely back Gaza ceasefire, no sure winning candidate yet: US experts
WASHINGTON (Agencies): US Vice President Kamala Harris will likely work towards a ceasefire in Gaza if she is elected president, the former Chief of Staff of President Joe Biden told Al Arabiya English’s Riz Khan.
“I know that Joe Biden is focused intently, minute by minute on trying to have a ceasefire in the Middle East before the end of this week is what he would like to do, I’m sure. He just has to work with all of our partners and others involved in the conflict,” Platt said.
“I think Kamala Harris will probably follow suit fairly closely… she has said ‘free the hostages’ and she wants a ceasefire,” she added.
Many are awaiting Harris’ speech on Thursday, including advocacy groups on both sides, to see if the vice president will mention the Gaza war and her views on the matter.
On Sunday, the Democratic Party unveiled its platform which does not specify an arms embargo on Israel but makes mention of the importance of establishing a ceasefire plan.
It largely reflects the US position, wherein Biden since ending his re-election bid, has engaged in high-stakes diplomacy to end various conflicts including the Israel-Hamas war, but maintained weapons deliveries to its ally.
The Gaza war broke out in October 2023 after the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel and took about 200 hostages.
In retaliation, Israeli forces have killed over 40,000 Palestinians in the name of eradicating Hamas members and forced thousands to evacuate their homes.
Harris, who will navigate these uncertain waters, if elected, has to push for a policy shift from that of the Biden administration to calm pro-Palestinian voices who are calling for a change.
Platt said that her experience as a prosecutor “will serve her well.”
“She knows how to prosecute her case and the issues, and she shows no fear,” Platt added.
‘A crazy man’
On former US President Donald Trump, who’s a leading contender in the US election for the Republican Party standing against Harris, Platt called him a “crazy man” and “an emperor with no clothes.”
“The contrast could not be more stark between Kamala Harris and Tim Walz and Donald Trump and JD Vance. No one wants the past. We’re all a little just tired of gloom and doom. We’re ready to move on and feel something to look forward to again. And I think that’s what’s going to happen,” Platt added.
However, the election is far from a sure win for either candidate, American historian Allan Lichtman told Al Arabiya English.
“Recent elections have been very difficult to predict, although I would, of course, have been correct in predicting Trump in 16 and Biden in 20. But they’ve been difficult because there’s so much polarization and the elections are so close and there are so many extraordinary events as we’ve seen this year. On the one hand, you have a convicted felon. On the other hand, you have a sitting president who declined to run right before the convention.”
Bryan Lanza, Trump’s Deputy Director of Communications told Al Arabiya English that Harris’s popularity is a “sugar high.”
“All she did was make 1800 phone calls to party insiders, and her support switched to become one of the most popular nominees in a long time. So, there was no policy discussion. It was just sort of a sugar high for the positive coverage and the relief that Joe Biden was not going to be their nominee,” Lanza said.
“We think, at this point that, she’s probably she’s definitely hit her plateau,” he added.
In any case, Harris and Trump are both locked in a tight presidential race that will likely be decided in a handful of battleground states, polls show. Harris in recent weeks has taken the lead on the PredictIt politics betting platform.
