Much Ado About Nothing: Tim Walz’s Empty Words on Gaza
David R. Weiss – September 16, 2024

If Kamala Harris loses to Donald Trump in November, it won’t be for lack of joy, but for lack of justice. And maybe because Tim Walz’s strength as a plain-spoken running mate sometimes leads him to speak a little too plainly.

Recently, while campaigning in Michigan, Walz was tasked with reaching out to Muslim and Arab American voters. These voters (not unreasonably!) have felt betrayed by the Biden administration’s unwavering support for Israel’s actions in Gaza. They’ve reeled in disbelief as Israel has freely slaughtered Palestinian civilians, decimated Gaza’s infrastructure, and destroyed whole collections of priceless culture. (Yes, in “response” to the horrific attack by Hamas on October 7; but Israel’s response has become disproportionate, irrational, and outright genocidal against the Palestinian people.)

Of course, you can’t directly blame Biden for Israel’s actions. EXCEPT: Biden has provided Israel with political cover, both with his rhetoric and within the United Nations. And to be plainspoken about it, the bombs Israel is using to break international law—are coming from Joe Biden. Without that support, Israel could not sustain its genocidal campaign in Gaza. So, yes, Joe’s Biden administration is blameworthy for the horror happening right now in Gaza.

Despite plentiful, poignant, persuasive pleas, Kamala Harris has refused to place any distance between her view on the Gaza war and Biden’s (other than some warm fuzzy feelings of anguish). As a result, there is a real movement among Michigan’s Arab and Muslim American voters to “abandon Harris.” (The movement is actually nationwide, but in Michigan’s swing-state math, the number of these voters threatening to desert Harris might be sufficient to leave Michigan unswung if they simply don’t vote.)

Which is why, no doubt, Tim Walz was over in Michigan trying to persuade these folks not to abandon Harris. Despite her ready willingness to effectively abandon them.

As Walz put it to these voters: “Kamala Harris has been clear. She’ll defend Israel’s right to defend itself—making sure, though, that we need to get a ceasefire that returns these hostages as part of that, and she understands that the human suffering that’s happening in Gaza has to end. That’s why she’s the person to move us toward a two-state solution, where Israel can be protected, we get our hostages back, and Gaza can be self-determined.”

It sounds almost good.

But while championing the release of the remaining hundred hostages held by Hamas, this paired theme of ceasefire-and-hostages conveniently hides the many hundreds of Palestinian “hostages” held in Israeli prisons, jails, and camps (many arrested for crimes that can only fairly be called resistance to an unjust and illegal occupation) whose freedom also hangs on the current ceasefire negotiations. I’m betting that Arab and Muslim American voters might appreciate hearing mention of these persons, whose lives are every bit as imperiled as the Israeli hostages.

Moreover, Walz remains plainspoken silent on Israel’s breaches of human rights and international law—breaches that invalidate any description of its actions as “self-defense.” Israel has a right to self-defense—but not to slaughter civilians, decimate infrastructure, or destroy culture. Those are NOT acts of self-defense. They’re acts of genocide. No coherent US policy can ignore this. And “understanding the human suffering” doesn’t get you a free pass through the November election.

But this is the worst of it, where Walz’s plainspoken talk gets just ugly empty. He warns these voters, “Donald Trump is offering you nothing. That is not in your best interest.”

Understand me now (to quote Harris): You’re telling these voters that your campaign will offer sweet-sounding but ultimately specious rhetoric topped off with noble promises undermined by supplying the political support and the actual weapons necessary to carry out genocide, but they ought to think twice about not supporting Harris … because Trump offers them nothing?!

This is a ghastly bit of political theater. To use Trump’s bellicose posturing as an excuse for Harris’ “mere” banality of evil.

It would be politically viable and strategically wise for Harris to double-down on Israel’s right to self-defense—while also making any further arms shipments absolutely contingent on Israel’s compliance with international law and its active engagement in a political process leading to a two-state solution that would provide mutual security to both Israelis and Palestinians. Such a commitment could catalyze international support for a realistic peace in the Middle East—and undercut the divisive ambitions of other militant groups and states in the region.

Right now, the only reasonable conclusion to draw from Walz’s plainspoken message in Michigan is that Harris has chosen to align herself with a history of US policy in the Middle East that regards instability as profitable to US global interests and considers the immensity of human suffering there as the unfortunate collateral damage of our doing business in the world.

She has other and far better options. It is inexcusable that she isn’t pursuing them.

I will vote for the Harris-Walz ticket, no matter what. Because the alternative is so morally repulsive and politically scary. Especially in our hyper-polarized two-party system, elections are primarily about harm reduction, so I can make (a very restless!) peace with voting for (on this issue and others) an inexcusably imperfect candidate. Because a vote for Trump is a vote to end democracy altogether; to restore white supremacy as the law of the land; and to erase the rights and endanger the safety of countless members of marginalized communities.

But Harris is needlessly losing some votes—as I said at the top, not for lack of joy, but for lack of justice. And I cannot and will not criticize those for whom the pain laid bare by Walz’s plainspokenness is simply too personal and too great to set aside even in the face of the threat posed by Trump. Palestine’s pain is real. It runs generations long and generations deep. And (without condoning Hamas’ brutality in any way!) the Palestinian cause is righteous.

In the absence of offering any real alternative to these voters, Walz’s warning about Trump is indeed “much ado about ‘nothing.’” To be clear (and painfully so, because I like Tim Walz) it is to gaslight these voters. If Kamala Harris truly intends to offer a “New Way Forward,” she might begin by leaving the gaslighting behind.

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David Weiss is a theologian, writer, poet and hymnist, “writing into the whirlwind” of contemporary challenges, joys, and sorrows around climate crisis, sexuality, justice, peace, and family. Reach him at drw59mn@gmail.com. Read more at www.davidrweiss.com where he blogs under the theme, “Full Frontal Faith: Erring on the Edge of Honest.” Support him in Writing into the Whirlwind at www.patreon.com/fullfrontalfaith.