‘What he’s talking about, it’s real’
Vice President Harris publicly agreed with a protestor this week who interrupted her to accuse Israel of committing “genocide.”
The moment went down during a campaign stop Thursday at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, when a pro-Hamas UWM student began yelling out while the Democratic presidential nominee was speaking, video of the exchange showed.
“I am so invested in you all, in every way,” Harris can be heard saying as the interruption began.
“And in genocide right?” the heckler said.
“Billions of dollars in genocide. Billions of dollars in genocide.”
Someone off-camera can be heard whispering “shut up,” but the outburst continued.
“I’m speaking right now,” Harris said before launching into her now well-worn response to similar interruptions.
“I know what you’re speaking of. I want the ceasefire. I want the war to end. And I respect your right to speak but I am speaking right now.”
“But what about the genocide? What about the genocide though?” the protestor, wearing a keffiyeh, yelled.
The man was then escorted out of the hall while yelling, “19,000 children are dead, and you won’t call it a genocide.”
In the silence that followed his exit, Harris turned back to the audience.
“Listen, what he’s talking about, it’s real. It’s real. That’s not the subject that I came to discuss today, but it’s real and I respect his voice,” Harris said.
The vice president has never previously suggested that Israel’s defensive war in Gaza amounts to a genocide of Palestinian people.
“Kamala Harris just publicly validated the false and vicious accusation that Israel is engaging in genocide,” David Friedman, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel, told The Post Saturday.
“Many, including myself, always suspected that she held this warped, antisemitic view of Israel’s self-defense against Hamas barbarism. But the cat is now out of the bag,” he added.
“Her view is as ignorant as it is malign. … To give credence publicly to this disgusting blood libel disqualifies Harris from holding any public office, let alone the presidency,” he said.
The behind-closed-doors event at the school’s Lubar Entrepreneurship Center was closed to journalists, but video of the moment was posted online. Harris’ motorcade was also met with pro-Hamas protesters when she arrived on campus, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
The heckler appears to have been affiliated with the group UW-Milwaukee Popular University for Palestine Coalition, which posted a first person account of the confrontation to their Instagram page Friday.
Harris’ family has also been public about their sympathies.
Both Harris’ stepdaughter Ella Emhoff and niece Meena Harris, have raised cash for the Palestinian cause.
Ella Emhoff’s activism has including soliciting funds for the nonprofit UNRWA, which the United States cut funding to over their complicity in the Oct. 7 attacks.
The incident comes as Harris has faced growing skepticism from Jewish voters, with poll after poll suggesting their support for the Democratic party is eroding.
Harris’ comments seemingly endorsing the position that Israel is committing genocide took place just one day after the country killed Hamas terror leader Yahya Sinwar.
Reps for Harris’ campaign did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The Post.
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