During the Aug. 22 Democratic Party’s nomination for the presidency, the party’s official nominee Vice President Kamala Harris expressed h...
During the Aug. 22 Democratic Party’s nomination for the presidency, the party’s official nominee Vice President Kamala Harris expressed her full-fledged support for Israel, saying she will "always stand up for Israel's right to defend itself" and "always ensure Israel can defend itself" with U.S.-supplied weaponry. Receiving applause and hoots of support, Harris also pushed that the militant group Hamas has been committing mass sexual violence and massacres of Israelis.
"I will always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself and I will always ensure Israel can defend itself, because the people of Israel must never again face the horror that a terrorist organization called Hamas caused on Oct. 7, including unspeakable sexual violence and the massacre of young people at a music festival," she said. "At the same time, what has happened in Gaza over the past 10 months is devastating. So many innocent lives were lost. Desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety, over and over again. The scale of suffering is heartbreaking."
However, critics were quick to notice that as she pushed for the Hamas "mass rape" hoax, she completely ignored how the Israeli government is debating their people's "right to rape" Palestinians.
A recent poll even suggested that the majority of Israelis believe the prison officials accused of sexually assaulting a Palestinian detainee should not face criminal charges and just be disciplined by the army.
To date, no proof has ever been provided of Hamas raping Israelis during the onset of war but there's been video evidence that Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers are raping Palestinian prisoners. The recent footage, which was said to have taken place at the Sde Teiman prison in July, shows dozens of prisoners lying face down on the floor with their hands on the backs of their heads. One of the prisoners is led away to a discreet corner. Three soldiers then appear to use shields to block the view while they commit the violence.
Meanwhile, Harris also claimed to have been working to finish the dragging war in the Middle East.
"President [Joe] Biden and I are working to end this war, such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination," she said without missing the chance to criticize her rival, Republican's presidential candidate Donald Trump.
"I will never hesitate to take whatever action is necessary to defend our forces and our interests against Iran and Iran-backed terrorists. I will not cozy up to tyrants and dictators like Kim Jong-un, who are rooting for Trump," she added. "Because they know he is easy to manipulate with flattery and favors. They know Trump won't hold autocrats accountable because he wants to be an autocrat himself."
U.S. State Department previously called for an investigation into IDF's sexual assaults on Palestinians
Harris seemed to have forgotten what U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said a few weeks back when he called for an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse of Palestinian detainees by the IDF.
"We have seen the video and reports of sexual abuse of detainees are horrific. They ought to be investigated fully by the government of Israel, by the IDF," Miller said. "There ought to be zero tolerance for sexual abuse, rape of any detainee, period… If there are detainees who have been sexually assaulted or raped, the government of Israel, the IDF need to fully investigate those actions and hold anyone responsible accountable to the full extent of the law."
Biden's administration also called the reports of rape, torture and abuse of Palestinian prisoners "deeply concerning." "It is essential that the rule of law and due process prevail," said White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military, which runs some detention facilities where Palestinian prisoners have been held, said that it operated according to the rule of law and that any specific claims of abuse were investigated.
According to reports, an IDF reservist soldier has already been indicted for suspected abuse at the facility and five others are in military custody on suspicion of sodomizing a detainee with an object, along with other abuses. But this sparked protests by right-wing Israelis, who broke into two military facilities after military police detained 10 soldiers over the incident, where five of whom have since been released from custody. They disrupted a High Court of Justice hearing to protest against the justices' to hear petitions seeking to close Sde Teiman.
"It is appropriate that the IDF in this case has announced an investigation has arrested several people who are alleged to have been involved," Miller said. "I won’t speak to the outcome of that investigation, but it ought to proceed swiftly, and if they are determined to violate criminal laws or violations of the IDF’s code of conduct, then, of course, they ought to be held accountable."
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