Don’t be fooled: President Harris would keep on arming Israel

The Democratic National Convention has been packed with prominent speakers and musical interludes that all focus on unity and moving forward into a more hopeful future.

But this cheerfulness is shadowed by a split within the Democratic Party related to Israel’s war in Gaza. There have been calls by some delegates for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris to support a halt in US military aid to Israel.

While the pro-Palestinian protests surrounding the convention have been much smaller than some expected, Chicago police arrested at least 72 pro-Palestinian protesters on August 20, 2024. These activists are calling for a US arms embargo on Israel, which the Democratic Party’s new national platform does not include.

The Conversation US’s politics editor Amy Lieberman spoke with Dov Waxman, a scholar of Israel studies, to better understand what is behind the US’s relationship with Israel and the strategic reasons why an arms embargo is, at best, a remote possibility.

Do you think that Kamala Harris is likely to agree with the calls for an arms embargo on Israel?

I do not think she will agree with those calling for an arms embargo on Israel.

For one thing, as vice president and before that as a senator, Kamala Harris has consistently supported providing US military aid to Israel. This position is typical of most Democratic Party members, as well as most Republicans.

Opponents of US military aid to Israel often argue that this help is solely a function of domestic politics and reflects the power of the pro-Israel lobby, particularly AIPAC. I think that this view is myopic and exaggerates the power of the pro-Israel lobby.

It ignores the fact that the US has its own economic and strategic reasons for supplying that