An ad put out by the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) criticizes Vice President and presumptive Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, claiming her record for supporting Israel is poor.
The ad begins by referring to remarks Harris made about pro-Hamas demonstrators on city streets and college campuses.
The ad said, “Jewish Americans were rightly concerned when Kamala Harris sided with the pro-Hamas demonstrators shouting antisemitic and anti-Israel slogans, disrupting our campuses, and harassing Jewish students.”
On July 8th, in an interview with The Nation, Kamala Harris said she could “understand” the sentiments of anti-Israel protesters.
She said, “There are things some of the protesters are saying that I absolutely reject…but we have to navigate it. I understand the emotion behind it.”
The ad then claimed Harris intentionally “snubbed” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he addressed Congress.
Harris said that she missed Netanyahu’s address because she had a speaking engagement at an Indiana event for Zeta Phi Beta, a historically Black sorority founded at the vice president’s alma mater, Howard University.
The ad said, “Instead of supporting America’s strongest ally by attending Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech to Congress, Kamala Harris decides to go to a sorority luncheon. A sorority luncheon? She can’t be serious. Kamala Harris’ priorities are not our priorities.”
The ad is being broadcast in battleground states, and in spite of its five-figure cost, the RJC emphasized its necessity after Washington’s support of Israel waned after October 7th.
RJC CEO Matt Brooks said, “If you thought Joe Biden was bad, Kamala Harris is far worse on issues of top concern for pro-Israel voters. She has totally failed her first test as a candidate for President of the United States, and the RJC will hold her accountable.”
Brooks added that since Harris is now at the top of the Democratic ticket instead of Biden, new ads are needed to address the new situation.