Gaza backs Kamala Harris, opposes Trump’s alleged pro-Israel bias

With only three months until the U.S. presidential election, many civilians in Gaza are reportedly supporting Kamala Harris due to alleged pro-Israel bias attributed to the Republican candidate, Donald Trump.

The Al-Monitor news outlet conducted interviews with Gazans that were published on Saturday. Reportedly, Gazans fear that a new Trump presidency could undermine humanitarian aid to Gaza and their aspirations for statehood.

Mohammed Abu Sharkh, a displaced resident from northern Gaza, complained that the wider U.S. government establishment is currently overwhelmingly pro-Israel.  

“Palestinians felt helpless about the way members of the U.S. Congress treated Netanyahu during his recent speech and lost hope for a radical change in the United States' pro-Israel policy,” Sharkh said.

While Netanyahu’s speech was met with multiple standing ovations from many members of Congress, more than 100 lawmakers, including Vice President Kamala Harris, skipped Netanyahu’s joint session speech.

“For us, the applause sounded like bombs falling on the heads of Palestinian children,” Sharkh stated.

“I think Harris will have a better vision for the Palestinians, especially with regard to human rights, such as increasing aid and Gaza’s reconstruction,” he added.

During her meeting with Netanyahu, Harris called for an end to the war against the Hamas terrorist organization and noted that she could not ignore the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

“We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering, and I will not be silent,” Harris stated. The vice president’s decision to be absent from Netanyahu’s Congress speech last week was well received in Gaza and interpreted by many as a political statement.

Abdul Rahim al-Hayek, a resident of Gaza City, claimed that the last 14 U.S. presidents, with the exception of Bill Clinton, have shown a pro-Israel bias

“I have lived through 14 US presidents, all of whom were blatantly pro-Israel, with the exception of President Bill Clinton, who visited Gaza in 1998 to push the peace process forward,” al-Hayek said.

“I prefer anyone over Trump, who recognized our future capital, Jerusalem, as the capital of Israel,” he added.

Since 1948, and more so after the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel has maintained that Jerusalem is the undivided, eternal capital of Israel.

Shireen Zaiter, reportedly employed by Hamas, told the Al-Monitor that Harris is more likely to sympathize with the Gazans and be tougher on Israel.

“This man hates the Palestinians and perceives Arabs as animals,” Zaiter claimed regarding Trump.

Rabab Abu Rahma, a high school principal in Gaza, complained that the Hamas-initiated war against Israel has resulted in electricity disruptions in Gaza.

“Honestly, we don’t have electricity to watch the US election [campaign] on television, and there is no internet. We have been cut off from the world for nearly 10 months now because of the Israeli war,” Rahma claimed. “I don’t know much about Harris, but I know a lot about Trump. He is a big villain to the Palestinians.”

By contrast, Trump is enjoying considerable support among Israelis.

In March, 44% of the Israelis preferred Trump to win the November election, compared to 33% who backed U.S President Joe Biden. About 26% of Israelis did not state their preference.

While many Israelis appreciate Biden’s initially strong backing of Israel after the Oct. 7 Hamas invasion and terror attack, the U.S. administration’s growing criticism of Israel amid the war has led to diminished support.

Some believe that because Harris embraces many progressive policies perceived as hostile toward Israel, support for Trump among Israelis is likely to continue growing.