Harris says Israel has 'right to defend itself', loses Muslim group support

US Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris has reiterated Washington's support for Israel, stating that Tel Aviv has the "right to defend itself".

"Let me be clear, I will always stand up for Israel's right to defend itself and I will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself," Harris told a rapturous crowd on the fourth and final day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC). 

The event was also attended by pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian Democrats in Chicago late on Thursday as she outlined her stance on the Gaza war and the humanitarian crisis in the blockaded enclave.

Stopping short of criticizing the Israeli regime for its months-long onslaught on Palestinians, Harris added, “What has happened in Gaza in the past 10 months is devastating. So many innocent lives lost. The scale of suffering is heartbreaking.”

The Democratic presidential nominee labeled the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas as a “terrorist” organization and claimed that she and her boss, President Joe Biden, were “working to end this war such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released.”

There were scattered shouts of "Free Palestine" at the DNC, during which Harris officially accepted the presidential nomination of the party for the November race.

Since the war erupted in October, the Biden administration has stood steadfastly with Israel, which has included continued military aid to the regime despite continued pro-Palestine marches across the country.

The DNC was witness to protests over the Israeli genocidal war and the Biden administration’s Gaza policy, with protesters burning American flags and getting into confrontations with police in Chicago.

Speaking to the American news website Axios, pro-Israel Democrats at the convention rejected the notion that there is any difference between Harris and Biden on the Gaza war.

"I think the Vice President Harris will be a strong supporter of Israel and carry forward the policies that the Biden administration have carried forth," said Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.).

Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) also said Harris will continue the "historically strong relationship between America and Israel.”

US police arrest pro-Palestine protesters outside Israeli regime’s consulate in Chicago

The US police have arrested dozens of pro-Palestine protesters outside the Israeli regime’s consulate in Chicago as they demanded an end to the occupying entity’s onslaught on the Gaza Strip.

Muslim group pulls support for Harris

On Wednesday and following the DNC’s refusal to allow a Palestinian person to speak at the Chicago convention, Muslim Women for Harris said they can no longer endorse the Democratic nominee. 

“We cannot in good conscience continue Muslim Women for Harris in light of this new information…that VP Harris’ team declined their request to have a Palestinian American speaker take the stage at the DNC,” the group wrote in a statement.

“We pray that the DNC and VP Harris team makes the right decision before this convention is over. For the sake of each of us.”

Harris has previously met with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and underscored her “unwavering commitment to Israel.”

A day earlier, the US police arrested dozens of pro-Palestine protesters outside the Israeli regime’s consulate in Chicago as they demanded an end to the occupying entity’s months-long onslaught on the besieged Gaza Strip.

As police officers loaded a group of detainees into the van, some of them reportedly chanted "Free Palestine" in a call-and-response with supporters standing to the side outside the police line.

The US remains Israel’s most important ally and biggest supplier of arms. It has provided Israel with weapons and intelligence support during the Gaza war and blocked UN resolutions calling for a humanitarian ceasefire in the besieged Palestinian territory.

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