The escalation of the situation in the Middle East affects the US election
(AFP, Washington, 3rd) The conflict in the Middle East has put heavy pressure on the U.S. presidential election campaign in the past year. Now, as tensions escalate, it may have further impact on the November election.
Democratic presidential candidate of the United StatesHe Jinli(Kamala Harris) is walking on thin ice, supporting President Joe Biden’s support for important ally Israel while worrying that it may alienate Muslim and Arab voters.
At the same time, Republican presidential candidate Trump took the opportunity to warn that conflicts in the Middle East could trigger World War III, blaming the current administration. Trump yesterday announced plans to attend a ceremony commemorating the October 7th incident in Florida with members of the Jewish community.
He also mentioned in the statement: “The Biden-Harris administration’s incompetence and failed policies have allowed Iran-backed proxies to pave a path of death and destruction, with catastrophic consequences for the world.”
Trump, 78, hopes his focus on the Middle East will boost support among Jewish voters. Jewish voters traditionally tend to vote for the Democratic Party, and this election basically supported the 59-year-old Harris.
Trump said of Harris in a televised debate, “She hates Israel,” and on another occasion, “In my opinion, Israel will cease to exist in two years, and I believe I’m 100 percent right…if I win. If elected, Israel will be safe and we will stem the poison of anti-Semitism.”
The former president is likely eyeing votes in New York and Pennsylvania, both states with large Jewish populations, but his strong tone has sometimes backfired.
When soliciting Jewish votes, he said that if he lost the election, it would “have a lot to do” with Jewish voters. As soon as he made this statement, he was immediately criticized as anti-Semitic.
In the unique electoral system of the United States, one state may determine the outcome of the entire election. Harris’ camp has set its sights on Michigan, but this is a swing state with a large Arab population.
As voters see the death toll among civilians continue to rise in the Gaza Strip, Michael Traugott, a political science professor at the University of Michigan, warned that their concerns about the fate of Palestinians there may affect the state of Michigan. Choose love.
He also said that Israel’s aggression and air strikes in Lebanon may have further effects, but it is “too early to draw conclusions.”
Harris, the standard-bearer, is trying to strike a balance amid divisions within the Democratic Party over Israel’s actions in the Middle East. She followed in Biden’s footsteps and pledged support for Israel, saying she would “always ensure that Israel has the ability to defend itself.” But she was more insistent than Biden on calling for a ceasefire.
“I will not remain silent,” she said of the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Harris also skipped Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to the U.S. Congress in July, when many Democrats also chose not to attend.
