Vice President Kamala Harris sparked concerns that she would consider an arms embargo of Israel by saying she was open to a meeting with leaders of the Uncommitted movement, who told the vice president about their demand for the policy.
Harris spoke with co-founders of the National Uncommitted movement before a rally in Detroit on Wednesday, hearing stories about people in Michigan who have had family members killed in Gaza, before expressing an openness to meet with the leaders over their calls for an arms embargo, according to a report from The New York Times.
The movement, which was inspired by the Listen to Michigan campaign that sprang up in Dearborn, has been protesting the Democratic ticket over the Biden administration’s handling of the conflict in Gaza, with many vowing not to support Harris unless she meets demands such as negotiating an immediate cease-fire or halting weapons shipments to Israel.
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Vice President Kamala Harris. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
The reported exchange with the leaders of the movement drew immediate backlash from supporters of Israel, who blasted the Democratic nominee for even entertaining the demand.
“Stating an openness to an arms embargo is wrong at any time, but saying it in the hours counting down to a massive Iranian attack on Israel is completely outrageous. The only right answer was ‘No way,’ an answer I have to imagine she wouldn’t have hesitated to deliver on other issues like banning abortion,” Richard Goldberg, a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital.
Representatives for Harris later rushed to clarify the vice president’s position, arguing that the Democratic nominee “will always ensure Israel is able to defend itself.”
“[Harris] has been clear: she will always ensure Israel is able to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups,” Phil Gordon, Harris’ national security adviser, said in a post on X. “She does not support an arms embargo on Israel. She will continue to work to protect civilians in Gaza and to uphold international humanitarian law.
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New York Times White House Correspondent Erica L. Green also clarified the outlet’s reporting, noting that the group’s leaders had asked to meet with Harris to discuss their demands.
“They said she was open to meeting with them, not that she was open to an arms embargo,” Green said in a post on X.
Harris’ campaign would later fire off another statement, arguing that the vice president “has prioritized engaging with Arab, Muslim, and Palestinian community members and others regarding the war in Gaza.”
Vice President Kamala Harris. (Leigh Vogel/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“In this brief engagement, she reaffirmed that her campaign will continue to engage with those communities. The Vice President has been clear: she will always work to ensure Israel is able to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups,” the statement said. “The Vice President is focused on securing the ceasefire and hostage deal currently on the table. As she has said, it is time for this war to end in a way where: Israel is secure, hostages are released, the suffering of Palestinian civilians ends, and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, freedom, and self-determination.”
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Harris’ campaign is forced to walk a fine line in Michigan, a critical swing state that has featured tight margins over the last few elections. Anger over the administration’s policy in Gaza that has bubbled up from Dearborn, a city with the highest per capita Muslim population in the U.S., is threatening to complicate the picture further with simultaneous movements that could peel away thousands of votes that would typically go to Democrats in a crucial swing state.
Lexis Zeidan, spokesperson for the Listen to Michigan group, speaks during a press conference held by the campaign one day after the Michigan presidential primary in Dearborn, Michigan, on Feb. 28. (Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu via Getty Images)
But Goldberg said the clarification was not enough, arguing that the campaign’s statement didn’t actually address whether Harris would consider an embargo.
“She should be asked point-blank, ‘Yes or no, would you ever consider an arms embargo on Israel?’” Goldberg said. “Her clarifying statement issued after the incident notably doesn’t answer that question directly.”
The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.
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