Harris Tries to Mollify Pro-Hamas Protesters in Arizona

Earlier this week, Kamala Harris lost patience with pro-Hamas protesters who disrupted her rally in Detroit. Harris told them, "You know what? If you want Donald Trump to win, then say that. Otherwise, I'm speaking."

Here is part of my reaction to Harris' rebuke of pro-Hamas protesters:

Despite her statements in support of the Palestinians, Harris cannot be pleased with their attempts to drown out her speech and then misrepresent her point of view. Methinks Palestinian protesters are beginning to piss off Kamala Harris and if this escalates during the DNC later this month, they will irrevocably alienate not the Vice-President but large swathes of Democratic Party activists who want to hear Harris speak rather hear her be accused of genocide. 

I may have spoken too soon.

When speaking at a rally in Glendale, Arizona yesterday, Harris tried to mollify pro-Hamas protesters: 

I have been clear: now is the time to get a ceasefire deal and get the hostage deal done. Now is the time. And the president and I are working around the clock every day to get that ceasefire deal done and bring the hostages home. So, I respect your voices, but we are here to now talk about this race in 2024.

I doubt this will quell the behavior of pro-Hamas supporters. Indeed, I think she is reinforcing that behavior by telling them she respects their voices. I'm afraid this is but a prelude of what is to come at the DNC later this month. If pro-Hamas supporters manage to chant, "Free, free Palestine!!!" or "Kamala, Kamala!!! You can't hide!!! We won't vote for genocide!!!" during her nomination speech, it is going to give Trump an opening with Jewish voters. 

I am also curious if the DNC is going acknowledge the hostages and campus anti-Semitism as was done at the RNC last month or if they will cast Israel as global enemy number one. While I hope they do the former, I am DNC organizers don't want to incur the wrath of the pro-Hamas wing of their party and will likely choose the latter course. All of which will give Republicans an opportunity to court Jewish voters. The problem there is that Trump will invariably claim that Jews who vote Democrat hate both Israel and their religion as he has done in the past.

While most Jews will vote Democrat, if a significant sliver of Jewish voters in Detroit, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Atlanta and in and around Phoenix choose Trump or even stay home, Harris could pay dearly for trying to mollify a pro-Hamas crowd which is not amenable to reason.