Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz didn’t mention the name of Hamas — or place any direct blame on the terror group for the Oct. 7 massacre when asked how he and Kamala Harris would handle the war in the Gaza Strip.
Asked by Michigan National Public Radio affiliate WCMU Thursday how “a Harris-Walz administration [would] handle the conflict” and whether it would “break with the Biden administration in any way,” the Minnesota governor briefly mentioned the “horrific” terror attack without specifying its perpetrator.
“I think first and foremost what we saw on October 7th was a horrific act of violence against the people of Israel. They have certainly, and the vice president said it, I’ve said it, have the right to defend themselves and the United States will always stand by that,” Walz began, before quickly adding, “but we can’t allow what’s happened in Gaza to happen.”
“The Palestinian people have every right to life and liberty themselves. We need to continue, I think to put the leverage on to make sure we move towards a two-state solution,” Walz went on.
“I think we’re at a critical point right now. We need the [Israel Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu government to start moving in that direction.”
“But I think those folks who are speaking out loudly in Michigan are speaking out for all the right reasons. It’s a humanitarian crisis. It can’t stand the way it is,” the man who could be a heartbeat away from the presidency concluded.
“And we need to find a way that people can live together in this and we’ve said it and continue to say it, getting a cease-fire with the return of the hostages and then moving towards a sustainable two-state solution is the only way forward.”
Both Harris and Walz have issued statements paying lip service to the Jewish state’s right to defend itself before calling out the dubious reported civilian death toll in Gaza with no mention of Hamas’ culpability.
Critics have accused the Democratic presidential and vice presidential candidates of casting a moral equivalence between the Israeli military and Hamas — and pro-Israel voices condemned Walz once again after his comments became public.
“So Israel has the right to defend itself except when it defends itself, and Hamas doesn’t exist in this narrative, and an American wasn’t murdered by Hamas this weekend, and my Minnesota Zionist grandparents are rolling over in their graves at this disgrace,” Commentary editor John Podhoretz wrote on X.
“Kamala Harris and Tim Walz want ‘to put the leverage on’ Israel to ensure Hamas survives to kill again?” asked Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.). “And they believe pro-Hamas radicals ‘are speaking out for all the right reasons’? Revolting moral equivalence.”
On Sunday, Walz literally dodged a question at the Minnesota State Fair about Hamas’ recent murder of six hostages, including American Hersh Goldberg-Polin.
“What’s your reaction to the six hostages being found dead in Gaza?” a reporter queried.
Walz ignored the question, turned around and waved to attendees and reporters before saying, “All right, thanks, everybody,” and walking away.
He later issued a statement that referred to Hamas as a “brutal terrorist organization.”
“The anguish of losing a child is something no family should have to endure. Gwen and I send our deepest condolences to the Goldberg-Polin family, after Hamas’ murder of their son Hersh,” Walz posted on X.
“Hamas is a brutal terrorist organization — and we condemn their continued atrocities against both Americans and Israelis in the strongest possible terms.”
Critical 2024 states like Michigan are home to a large Muslim American population and other anti-Israel Democratic constituencies that declined to back President Biden in the Democratic primary over his administration’s support for Israel during the war.
Harris reportedly met with organizers of the group that started the Uncommitted National Movement in July and agreed to talk about an arms embargo on Israel.
The VP’s national security adviser, Phil Gordon, denied the interaction and said Harris would “always ensure Israel is able to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups.”
In her first interview as the Democratic presidential nominee, Harris told CNN last week she would not have a change in policy but implied that Israel’s actions could have an effect on whether the US would withhold any aid.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) said days later voters could expect Harris to chart “a new direction” on Israel, while discussing various ways that the US could pull funding for Israeli military aid.
“The Vice President has made clear she will always ensure Israel has what it needs to defend itself from Iran and Iran-backed terrorists, like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis,” Dean Lieberman, a spokesman and deputy national security adviser, said in a statement following Khanna’s remarks.
