A lot of speculation surrounds US Vice President Kamala Harris and her chances of becoming the next president, with many believing she could usher in positive change regarding gender empowerment, racial equality, and a logical foreign policy. Prominent commentators, such as Mehdi Hasan, believe she might be “marginally better than Joe Biden” in handling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Famed American election forecaster Allan Lichtman favors Harris to win this November. She became the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee after President Joe Biden announced he would not seek reelection and later endorsed her. Some political analysts in the US and around the world portray the 59-year-old Harris as a new symbol of gender and racial equality in global politics, given her identity as a Black Asian woman who could overcome racism and shatter the most formidable glass ceiling in American politics.
However, is this perception genuine or part of an American strategy to manufacture consent and weave a narrative to deceive the international community? The glamorization and romanticization surrounding Barack Obama’s victory as the first African-American president resemble the current situation. Obama’s election was supposed to usher in a new era of equality, but it didn’t bring significant change for people of color or address issues such as police brutality and systemic racism.
Similar skepticism surrounds Kamala Harris. Despite her mixed-ethnic background, with her father being Jamaican and mother hailing from southern India, she has not actively sought to become an ambassador for the marginalized Black community or the suffering Palestinian women and children. Instead, she has used her identity as a minority to her advantage, depicting herself as a messiah for the disadvantaged – a move that many view as mere lip service.
Harris’ attempts to capitalize on her minority status have failed to deliver any substantial change on the ground. Her recent interactions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu further reinforce this perception. While she did not attend Netanyahu’s address to a joint meeting of the US Congress, she later met with him and expressed her support for Israel’s right to defend itself from Iran and Iran-backed militias such as Hamas and Hezbollah.
Harris also mentioned the colossal humanitarian crisis in Gaza, peace talks, the right to self-determination of Palestinians, and the need for a two-state solution. However, these statements seemed like passing references and a carefully crafted balancing act. The same can be said about her commitment to Israel’s existence, security, and people.
Against this backdrop, it is unrealistic to expect Kamala Harris to bring positive change in the lives of African or Asian Americans or genuinely work to end the suffering of thousands of Palestinians. American symbolism related to racial and gender equality remains as deceptive as its morals-based foreign policy. In conclusion, while some may pin their hopes on Kamala Harris to usher in a new era of change, her past actions and statements suggest that these expectations are misplaced.