Now Is the Moment for Kamala Harris to Ditch Biden on Gaza

If the U.S. is at war in the Middle East, Harris may find herself in a similar position to Hillary Clinton, whose foreign policy hawkishness may have contributed to her loss in 2016. But Harris has a chance to chart a different path with the war-weary public. While Clinton’s pugnacious image reflected her core beliefs, Harris could choose to make clear that she’s opposed to unnecessary wars. She could show that she will not send U.S. soldiers to die so that Netanyahu can stay in power, thereby siding with the 72 percent of Israelis who want him to step down. And she could demonstrate that she will no longer subsidize a military that is intentionally killing women and children, according to Israel Defense Forces whistleblowers.

While Americans are distracted by the veepstakes, the Middle East is facing an escalation of violence after Israeli attacks killed Hezbollah military chief Fuad Shukr in Beirut and Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran within 12 hours last week. In a televised speech on Tuesday, Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah said that Netanyahu was seeking a broader war yet remained dependent on the U.S. to conduct it. Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, stated that because the Israeli attack occurred on Iranian soil, avenging the death of Haniyeh was “Tehran’s duty.” Throughout Israel’s war in Gaza, Hezbollah and Iran had repeatedly avoided escalation, even in the face of provocations from Israel. But the assassinations of Haniyeh and Shukr appear to have finally pushed them too far.

Government officials across the Middle East have shuttled between capitals, hoping to prevent the worst. In a rare move, Jordan, a close U.S. partner, sent its foreign minister to Tehran to call for restraint, but newly inaugurated Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday called Israel’s attack a “major mistake” that “would not go unanswered.” Qatar, another U.S. partner, spoke with officials in the U.S., Egypt, and Jordan about how to de-escalate. According to a statement from Jordan’s Foreign Ministry, Jordanian Prime Minister Ayman Safadi and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani agreed that the first step would be to end Israeli violence against Gaza. If Israel wished to defuse tensions, agreeing to a cease-fire would clearly do so.