For the first time, former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris directly addressed the question of whether Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, saying: “It’s a question that needs to be asked.”
In an interview with MSNBC, Harris said, when asked about genocide in Gaza: "It is a term of law that a court will decide, but I will tell you that when you look at the number of children who have been killed, the innocent civilians that have been killed the refusal to give aid and support - we should all step back and ask this question and be honest about it, yeah."
Kamala Harris in interview with MSNBC
(Video: MSNBC)
It marked Harris’s most direct criticism of Israeli policy since losing the 2024 presidential election to Donald Trump. During her campaign, she avoided using the term “genocide,” though in October 2024 she agreed with a student protester at the University of Wisconsin who made that accusation. “What he’s talking about — it’s real,” Harris said at the time. “It’s not the issue I came to discuss today, but it’s real, and I respect his voice.”
Pushback, protests, and a book tour
Harris has faced significant protest throughout the launch of her new memoir, "107 Days," which chronicles her brief presidential campaign following Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators disrupted multiple events, accusing her of being a “war criminal” and “complicit in genocide.”
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Kamala Harris answers questions about the war in Gaza during an interview about her book in Times Square
(Photo: Angelina Katsanis)
In one instance in Washington, she told protesters: “I’m not the president of the United States. If you want to protest, go to the White House.” In Chicago, when faced with chants of “Kamala is a killer,” she responded: “Then let’s talk about the legacy of mass deportations, of voter suppression, of Donald Trump.”
Footage of these confrontations, widely circulated on X by pro-Palestinian groups in the U.S., showed protesters blaming Harris for supporting the war, referencing the $20 billion U.S. arms deal with Israel approved in August 2024. In one event, a woman wearing a hijab was filmed screaming, “Kamala, this is all your fault. You supported genocide,” before being escorted out by security.
Criticism of Trump and Biden
In a packed auditorium in New York’s Times Square, Harris turned her criticism to Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “Donald Trump gave Netanyahu a blank check to do whatever he wanted,” she said, receiving applause from the crowd. She reminded the audience that, during her vice presidency, she was the first in the administration to speak publicly about hunger in Gaza — a speech that drew sharp rebuke from the White House five months after the October 7 Hamas attack.
In interviews and in her book, Harris levels pointed criticism at Biden, alleging that Netanyahu “undermined the president” during the war in an effort to return Trump to office. “Biden’s loyalty to Israel was rejected by its prime minister,” she wrote. “He wanted Trump across the table, not Joe. Not me.”
She recounted pleading with Biden to show empathy for Palestinians comparable to his support for Ukrainians, but said she “hit a wall.”
'Binary thinking' and political consequences
In "107 Days," Harris writes that she lost the swing state of Michigan due to opposition from Arab American voters and criticizes what she calls “binary thinking” around the conflict. “Few are willing to hold two tragic narratives in their minds — to mourn both Israeli and Palestinian suffering,” she wrote.
She also described how, after a speech in Alabama warning of famine in Gaza, she “took heavy fire from the White House” for stepping outside the administration’s official line.
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Kamala Harris answers questions about the war in Gaza during an interview about her book in Times Square
(Photo: Angelina Katsanis/AP)
In the same MSNBC interview, Harris was asked whether Trump deserved credit for brokering the ceasefire and hostage release. She replied: “I really do hope it becomes real and that the hostages are out, that Gaza is no longer being treated with such brutality of force, that aid goes in. And I commend the people who have been a part of this process. I commend the Qataris, the Egyptians and the president.”
A day later, Harris issued an official statement: "I am thankful and deeply encouraged that this ceasefire has brought long-awaited moments of joy and reunion — as 20 Israeli hostages are finally reunited with their loved ones and Palestinian families and the people of Gaza begin to receive desperately needed relief from unimaginable suffering."
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Harris says Trump gave Netanyahu a blank check to operate in Gaza
(Photo: Jalaa Marey/Pool via Reuters, Chip Somodevilla / POOL / AFP)
She added: "There is still much more work to do to secure a lasting peace, ensure the safety and dignity of every innocent life, and build a future where Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in freedom and security."
Harris’ comments triggered mixed reactions within the Democratic Party, which has remained divided over support for Israel since the 2024 election loss. While Sen. Bernie Sanders previously described Israel’s actions as “genocide,” Harris is the most senior party figure so far to publicly raise the question in such direct terms.