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U.S. Elections 2020

Biden's choice of Harris took strategic cards from Trump

The Democratic nominee has chosen a young black and Asian woman who is set to take these groups to the polls after abandoning Clinton in 2016. It has a record of law and order and also of progressiveness, and its positions are pro-Israel

• Joe Biden
• Kamla Harris
• Donald Trump
• United States
• The 2020 United States presidential election

Prof. Eitan Globe

Of the ten candidates Joe Biden has considered for vice president, Camela Harris brings the most assets and the least downsides. Biden wants to renew the large democratic coalition of women, young people, minorities - blacks, Hispanics and Asians, immigrants and workers - that did not act in the previous presidential election and caused Hillary Clinton's defeat against Donald Trump.

Harris was born into a family of educated immigrants from India and Jamaica. She is young, black and Asian and is supposed to bring these groups to the polls. She has significant executive experience in the areas of legislation, law and law enforcement at all levels: Local - Plaintiff in the City and San Francisco County; The state is a California state prosecutor, and the state is a California senator and a prominent and impressive member of the Budget, Justice, Intelligence and Homeland Security Committees.

She drops the two strategic cards that Trump planned to use against the Democrats: She is on the moderate wing of the Democratic Party and being a former tough prosecutor, it can not be said that she does not maintain law and order. Trump wanted to denounce Democrats as proposing a radical economic and social agenda to the United States, and supporting the brutal riots that were part of the mass demonstrations against racism and police treatment of blacks.

Trump presents himself, especially to whites and the middle class, as the only and last barrier to the chaos of blacks and their allies. If Biden had chosen a candidate from the party's radical wing, he would have exposed the Democrats to this strategy. Harris is a personality of law and order, but also of reforms.

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In her various roles, she has worked on key issues that have been flooded and exacerbated during the corona plague and health crises and anti-racism demonstrations, which will also be at the center of the current election campaign. It proposed and implemented plans for reforms in police functions and the law enforcement system; In the severe economic crisis of 2008, it curbed the lust of homeowners to maximize profits at the expense of destitute tenants; Restricted the conduct of banks and large companies; And supported the legalization of illegal immigrants and health and welfare reforms.

Harris grew up in an urban environment of white liberals and black intellectuals, and she speaks their language. From her parents who fought for equal rights for blacks in the 1960s she absorbed values ​​and a fighting spirit for equality and justice. Although she could be accepted for academic studies at one of California's top universities, she chose to pursue a bachelor's degree in political science and economics at Black Howard University in Washington. There she recognized blacks as one of their only ways of gaining an academic education, and there she also became intimately acquainted with the American political system.

One of Biden's challenges was to unite the camps in the Democratic Party: the moderates and radicals who call themselves progressives. He was among the moderates, and the progressives wanted to appoint a candidate for the position of vice president, such as Senator Elizabeth Warren.

In previous elections, the Progressives did not support Clinton enough and that was another reason for Trump's victory. Bidin learned this lesson. Harris is the best replacement for a progressive candidate. She calls herself progressive-moderate and has an excellent track record in areas that are close to her heart. The Progressives have indeed welcomed her appointment, and Biden expects her to bring them to the polls.

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To the full article

Of all the candidates that Biden has considered, Harris is the best at safeguarding Israel's vital interests in Washington. She is married to a Jewish lawyer, has ties to the Jewish community in California, and is well aware of the complexity of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Israel's security problems. She is closer to AIPAC, the veteran pro-Israel lobby in Washington than to the left-leaning J Street lobby. In the Senate election.

Like all Democrats, it supports a two-state solution and against further settlements and annexation of the West Bank. Unlike class progressives, is against the press in Israel and imposing a solution, against the conditioning of military aid in changing policy toward the Palestinians and against the BDS movement and discrimination in the UN takes against Israel. She also sharply criticized the aggression of Hamas.

Harris has demonstrated support for Israel is not just words , But also in deeds. It signed a congressional resolution against Obama's initiative to pass on the Security Council's ruling that settlements in the territories are illegal, violate international law and constitute a major obstacle to a peace settlement. move the US embassy to Jerusalem.

Harris is a card choices particularly strong, and so is significantly strengthens the chances Biden win the presidential election. the choice it is a strategic move wise Biden. because he is not a candidate charismatic and winning personality, she just has to be careful not to overshadow him. Relative to all the candidates for the position, Harris is also the most pro-Israel.

Prof. Gilboa is an expert in the United States and a senior researcher at the SA Center for Strategic Studies at Bar-Ilan University.