An open letter to Kamala Harris and Tim Walz - opinion

Dear Vice President Harris and Gov. Walz, 

As the Democratic National Convention gets underway in Chicago, I am writing to urge each of you – and the convention as a whole – to proudly continue to state your strong pro-Israel position, including highlighting the plight of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas terrorists and demanding that they be released immediately.

There are 115 hostages still held in Gaza. No one knows how many are alive or dead. Most are injured, malnourished, and suffering from severe weight loss and psychological trauma. Twenty-three-year-old Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, for example, had most of his left arm blown off by a Hamas grenade thrown into a bomb shelter where he was hiding on October 7. Many others were severely wounded as they were abducted to tunnels where they continue to languish without medical care under the watchful eye of cruel guards. Fourteen of the hostages are women, suffering unimaginable abuse by their captors as documented in an eloquent op-ed by Michal Herzog, wife of Israeli President Isaac Herzog. 

While appropriately acknowledging and working to address the pain on both sides of this conflict, you should unequivocally demand that all Israeli hostages be immediately and unconditionally released to their families who have been living this nightmare for 318 horrible days and counting. This would be a core element in any ceasefire deal that includes an end to the needless and heart-breaking suffering of the Palestinian people. 

At their convention last month, Republicans said they stood firmly with Israel and featured prominent party officials reiterating their unwavering support for the Jewish state as well as college students recounting their fears about campus antisemitism. The Republicans claim that their party is good for the Jews and is the only party that is pro-Israel, citing as examples former president Donald Trump’s actions, including moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, recognizing permanent Israeli control of the Golan Heights, and brokering the Abraham Accords.  

The Democrats should not cede the pro-Israel vote to Trump/Vance and should use the convention to remind audiences that their party has been steadfast in its support of Israel; to talk about President Joe Biden being the first sitting US president to travel to Israel during wartime and about the Biden/Harris administration’s unprecedented $14 billion financial/military aid package to Israel this year; about how the current administration ensured that the US military backed Israel when it was attacked by 300 Iranian missiles last April; and about this month’s deployment of submarines and aircraft carriers to help Israel defend against expected Iranian retaliation for the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

Prominent Democrats who will have the world’s attention over the next four days need to unequivocally speak out in support of the right of the Jewish state to defend itself, not only from Hamas, but also from Hezbollah, the Houthis, and other anti-Israel terrorist groups, most of which are sponsored by Iran.  

Speaking of Iran, it is worth reminding the world that the Islamic Republic’s “breakout time” (the amount of time needed to produce enough weapons-grade material for a nuclear weapon) has gone from over a year in 2018 to just a week or two now because of Trump’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal in May of that year. 

DNC goals

The convention should also be used to highlight the work of Doug Emhoff (husband to the vice president) in fighting antisemitism – and to remind Americans that antisemitism increased 56% during Trump’s first year of office and 60% by the end of his term as compared to the final year of the Obama/Biden administration. It should tell everyone about Gov. Walz’s long-term support for Israel and his close relationship with the Minnesota Jewish community, dating back to his work on the 2001 Master’s thesis on Holocaust education. 

The Democratic party’s big tent includes significantly more Jewish leaders than the Republican party’s  It must remind the world that there are four Jewish cabinet members in the Biden/Harris administration, while there was only one in Trump’s. There are four Jewish Democrat governors and zero Republicans. Eight of the 48 Democrat senators are Jewish and yet there is not a single Jew among the 49 Republican senators. Twenty-five Jewish House members are Democrats while only two are Republican. New York Democrat Sen. Chuck Schumer is the first Jewish majority leader in history – and Joe Lieberman was the first Jewish person on a major presidential ticket.  

The anti-Israel protesters will get a lot of media coverage, and some will undoubtedly chant “From the river to the sea.” Fifty-six years ago, at the Democratic National Convention in 1968 – also in Chicago – televised images of anti-war protests in the streets overshadowed what took place inside. This week, too many will try to suggest that pro-Palestinian protest imagery out in the streets is somehow a reflection of the views of the Democratic party inside the building. 

The world will be listening to hear what is said from the podium.

I urge you: Do not let the fringe elements of the party and protesters out in the street steal the spotlight. Stay strong. Do not forsake your unwavering support for Israel. And please, do not forget the plight of the hostages and their families.

The writer is a co-founder and chairman of The Genesis Prize Foundation, which celebrates Jewish achievement and promotes Jewish unity and strong ties between Israel and the Diaspora. The views expressed in this article are his own. This year, the $1 million Genesis Prize was awarded to Israeli organizations and activists working to release and support hostages and their families.