Before an election rally in Michigan on Wednesday, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris spoke with leaders of the national Uncommitted movement, which urges Democrats to boycott upcoming elections to protest U.S. support for Israel in its war with Hamas in Gaza. The organization claimed that Harris expressed willingness to "discuss an arms embargo" on Israel.
However, the Harris campaign later denied that she agreed to discuss the issue. A source close to Harris told the New York Times that, while the vice president referred the organization's leaders to her team for a meeting, she did not express openness to discussing an arms embargo on Israel.
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US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally at Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romu
(Photo: Jeff Kowalsky/AFP)
The campaign said that Harris "will continue to work so that Israel can defend itself against Iran and terrorist organizations supported by it" and is currently focused on securing a cease-fire and a hostage deal.
The Uncommitted movement reported that its founders, Abbas Alawieh and Layla Elabed, met with Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, to express their concerns about U.S. arms supplies to Israel and requested a meeting to discuss their demands for an arms embargo. "The vice president shared her sympathy and expressed openness to meeting with Uncommitted leaders to discuss an arms embargo," the group claimed.
During the meeting, Elabed reportedly burst into tears and said, "I am Palestinian, I am the founder of Uncommitted. The voters in Michigan want to elect you, but we need a policy that will save lives in Gaza now. I meet every day with members of the community in Michigan who are losing dozens and hundreds of family members in the Gaza Strip. We need an arms embargo, will you meet with us to discuss this?"
Earlier this year, the organization successfully persuaded tens of thousands of voters to refrain from voting for President Joe Biden in the Michigan primaries, protesting his wartime policies.
At the rally in Detroit, pro-Palestinian demonstrators interrupted Harris' speech several times, accusing her of being complicit in "genocide" in Gaza and chanting, "Kamala, Kamala, you can't hide, we won’t vote for genocide." Harris responded to the protesters, saying, "I’m here because we believe in democracy. Everyone’s voice matters, but I am speaking now. You know what, if you want Donald Trump to win, then say that. Otherwise, I’m speaking."
Michigan, home to a large Arab American population, is a key state for Harris' presidential ambitions.