As an Israeli-American, I’m often asked which presidential candidate would be better for the US-Israel relationship and Israel’s safety and security. My answer is clear: Kamala Harris has a stellar record throughout her career, strengthening this critical alliance. That makes her the only choice in this election, and I wholeheartedly endorse and support her.Here are the facts:Since her early days as a US senator, in which the first resolution she co-sponsored sought to combat anti-Israel bias at the United Nations, Harris has demonstrated unwavering support for the US-Israel relationship and Israel’s security.After October 7, Harris was crystal clear that Israel was attacked by a terrorist organization – Hamas – and that it had the right and duty to defend itself. In the year since she has consistently stressed that she will always ensure Israel has what it needs to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups.Moreover, as vice president, she has stood shoulder to shoulder with President Biden as he made crucial decisions ensuring Israel’s security. She was part of the team that helped defend Israel when Iran attacked in April, and she did it again last week as the United States worked with Israel to defeat an attack of more than 180 ballistic missiles launched by Iran. She joined more than 20 calls with Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu, which is unusual and reflects how much she prioritizes this issue, as the president and vice president typically divide their focus on various national issues to be most impactful. Furthermore, this past year, Harris was an aggressive advocate to ensure Israel received $14 billion in supplemental support to defend itself against Iran and its proxies. In contrast, former president Donald Trump opposed this supplemental package, and his running mate, J.D. Vance, voted against it.
Advocating for families of American-Israeli hostages
Harris has also been a fierce advocate for the American hostage families, meeting with them multiple times and doing everything she can to bring all the hostages home. She elevated the issue of sexual violence by Hamas on October 7, both in her remarks at the Democratic National Convention and by hosting an event at the White House to shine a light on these horrors. More broadly, Harris has consistently fought against the scourge of antisemitism throughout her career. As a district attorney, she successfully prosecuted a hate crime charge against an attacker of Elie Wiesel despite it being a challenging case. In the Biden administration, she encouraged her husband, Doug Emhoff, to use his platform as the first Jewish spouse of a president or vice president to combat the rise of antisemitism around the world. This led him to take on a central role in developing the first-ever National Strategy for Countering Antisemitism, which included more than 100 specific and meaningful actions being undertaken by key agencies such as the Department of Education, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Justice to protect against and counter antisemitism.
Compare this stellar track record of unwavering support for Israel’s security to Donald Trump’s erratic history. Trump says he supports Israel, but he only does so when it suits him, and he will turn on Israel on a dime when it goes against his personal interests. He was Prime Minister Netanyahu’s friend until Netanyahu congratulated Biden on legitimately winning the 2020 election, at which point Trump refused to speak with him for more than three years.At every opportunity, he turns Israel into a partisan wedge issue for his electoral advantage. In the process, he undermines the longstanding, bipartisan commitment to Israel that has been so vital to the US-Israel relationship. While Israel was under attack from Iran last week, he spoke all about himself and the election and barely even mentioned Israel.AS AN Israeli-American, I find his claim that if Kamala Harris wins this election, Israel will be wiped off the map not just ridiculous but insulting. Israel is a strong, proud, and independent nation that has fought for its existence, established a vibrant democracy, and become a startup nation. Trump does not understand that and views Israel as simply a weak vassal of the United States. Additionally, Trump’s treatment of allies across the board should give every American supporter of Israel a serious pause. As president, he abandoned our Kurdish allies in Syria, and he now threatens to walk away from NATO, America’s most important alliance. He has belittled allies and, most recently, in the presidential debate, refused multiple times to voice support for Ukraine to win its war against Russia.This behavior weakens America across the world, and a weaker America is bad for Israel. Anyone who thinks that Israel could be insulated from Trump’s isolationist tendencies and mercurial nature is kidding themselves. The bottom line is this: At a time when Israel is increasingly isolated on the world stage, we need a robust and steady leader in the Oval Office. Unlike Trump, Harris has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to the American Jewish community and Israel. The choice for Jewish voters and all voters could not be more straightforward.
The writer is a dedicated philanthropist, global business leader, and CEO & chairman of Saban Capital Group.