Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign is running new digital spots targeting voters in Muslim-majority neighborhoods in the Detroit area, stressing that Harris “will not remain silent on human suffering in Gaza.”
Advertisements It launched on Snapchat and Google on TuesdayAccording to records provided by the companies, there are clips of Harris sympathizing with the people of Gaza. They mark a new stage in micro-targeting in the region over the Biden administration’s handling of Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza. A GOP-aligned group running digital ads in similar areas highlighting Harris’ support for Israel in an apparent attempt to alienate voters from him.
The super PAC, Future Coalition PAC, also ran other ads Highlight Harris’ husband’s Jewish faithDoug Emhoff, including commercials relied on anti-Semitic “dual loyalty” tropes about Jewish Americans.
The ads appear to be the first paid ads from the Harris camp on Gaza and show how his campaign is trying to reach critics of the administration on the issue.
The first two clips used in the new Harris ad come from Harris’ later words in July he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin NetanyahuFour days after President Joe Biden announced he would not seek another term in office. The ad features Harris declaring, “I will not be silent,” followed by a short cut to a second clip from that address, in which he says, “The extent of human suffering in Gaza, including the death of people far away.” too many innocent civilians.” Harris also said that he supports Israel’s right to self-defense in these and other statements, but those comments were included in these digital ads.
In another clip from Harris’ address in March, he argues about the situation in Gaza, saying, “Our common humanity compels us to act.”
A second ad strikes a similar note, quoting Harris’ July address: “What has happened in Gaza in the last nine months is devastating,” adding: “We cannot afford to be complacent about the suffering, and I will not remain silent. “
The ads target nine zip codes around Detroit, including Dearborn, a city with a high concentration of people of Middle Eastern or North African descent, where Muslim and Arab American political leaders have criticized Israel’s handling of the war. Earlier this year, Biden officials met with leaders there amid criticismand frustrated critics forced Democrats to vote “disloyal” in the presidential election to protest the administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war and its military funding to Israel.
Most of the nine zip codes in the Harris campaign are Democratic Reps. in Congress. Represented by Rashida Tlaib. Palestinian American Tlaib, approved a protest vote in February, and he did not specifically endorse or say he would oppose Harris in the general election.
Recently, a handful of delegates to the Democratic National Convention were won over by supporters of this “disloyal” movement, leading the party to failure. let a Palestinian speak at the party’s Chicago convention.
The Harris campaign did not comment on its advertising strategy.
Although both Biden and Harris have repeatedly emphasized that they support Israel’s right to self-defense after this attack, it appears potential daylight between the two Israel and Gaza. NBC News reported in March that White House National Security Council officials had toned down parts of Harris’ speech on the need for a hostage deal and a ceasefire between the two sides, and that he had publicly voiced concerns about civilian casualties in Gaza during speeches cited in the ads. .
Harris addressed the issue Tuesday during a panel discussion with the National Association of Black Journalists.
“I absolutely believe that this war has to end and it has to end as quickly as possible, and the way to get there is to get a pledge agreement and a cease-fire agreement, and we’re working around the clock to get that to an end,” Harris said.