Remarks by Vice President Harris During a Call with Jewish Voters Marking High Holidays

Teleconference

11:07 A.M. MST

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, Douglas.  Thank you, my darling husband. 

And I want to thank you in front of all of the friends for all of the leadership that you have shown and the inspiration that you have given so many and, in particular, our young people.  Many of you may know, Doug has been visiting everything from summer camps to youth organizations and reminding our young leaders of the importance of their pride and their strength, especially at moments like this.  So, thank you, Doug.

And it is wonderful to be with so many friends during the High Holidays.  And my wish, of course, for everyone is that you have a good New Year ahead and an easy fast.

Now, I know this year, as Ilan said, the High Holidays come at a particularly difficult time. 

And earlier this week, of course, we marked the one year since the brutal Hamas terrorist attack on October 7.  And I know it has just rekindled what has been an enduring and deep fear among Jews not just in Israel but in the United States and around the world.

And I know how the existence of a secure, democratic homeland for the Jewish people means so much for Jews and all of us, regardless of where they live.

I will never forget October 7, and the world must never forget.  And we all must work to ensure nothing like the horrors of that day can ever happen again.

To that end, as president, it is my pledge that I will always ensure Israel has what it needs to defend itself from Iran and Iran-backed terrorists.  And I will always support Israel’s right to defend itself.  My commitment to the security of Israel is unwavering.

And this — as Doug has said, as Ilan knows — has been a lifelong commitment, starting, as many of you know, when I was a young girl and collected donations on behalf of the Jewish National Fund to plant trees for Israel.  Many of you probably recall those little blue boxes.

And, as president, I will always work to ensure the safety and security of the people of Israel and Jewish people here in the United States and around the world. 

When it comes to the war in Gaza, we have seen so much suffering and pain over the past year, and it is time to bring the conflict to an end.  And I am working to ensure it ends such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, freedom, and self-determination. 

We are not giving up on a ceasefire and hostage deal.  We cannot.  And I will never stop fighting for the release of all the hostages, including, of course, the seven American citizens, living and deceased, who are still held.  We are fighting for them every day.  As Ilan and Doug have mentioned, I have met and spent time with their families.  And we cannot and will not rest until all the hostages are home. 

We know Hamas is not the only threat Israel faces.  On October 8, Hezbollah began launching rockets at Israel, and the Houthis in Yemen began targeting Israeli cities. 

And what is the common thread?  Well, we all know: Iran, which has now also directly attacked Israel twice.

I am clear-eyed.  Iran is a destabilizing and dangerous force. 

When Donald Trump was president, he let Iran off the hook.  After Iran and its proxies attacked U.S. bases and American troops, Trump did nothing.  And he pulled out of the nuclear deal without any plan, leading to an unconstrained Iranian nuclear program. 

On the other hand, our administration struck Iranian proxies in Iraq and Syria when they attacked American troops, and we are the first administration to ever directly defend Israel. 

On April 13, I joined President Biden and our national security team for more than five hours as we and a coalition of nations that we brought together responded to Iran’s unprecedented attack.  And then, of course, last week, on October 1st, I was in the Situation Room for more than three hours coordinating in real time with our military leadership as our forces intercept milsi- — missiles over the skies of Israel. 

Make no mistake, as president, I will never hesitate to take whatever action is necessary to defend American forces and interests from Iran and Iran-backed terrorists, and I will never allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon. 

Diplomacy is my preferred path to that end, but all options are on the table. 

And let’s be clear.  Donald Trump is not only a threat on the world stage.  As we have seen a rise in antisemitism in our own country, Trump has espoused dangerous and hateful antisemitic tropes, creating fear and division.  He praised some of the neo-Nazi marchers in Charlottesville as, quote, “very fine people.”  He reportedly said Hitler did some, quote, “good things.” 

I have spent my entire career fighting antisemitism.  I prosecuted hate crimes as a district attorney.  I continued this work as attorney general of California, where I published an annual report on hate crimes to ensure that policymakers and law enforcement respond with a sense of urgency and an understanding of the ubiquity of the problem. 

And as vice president, I am proud to be implementing the first-ever National Strategy to Combat Antisemitism, which, of course, Doug was an extraordinary leader in making sure would be created. 

And as president, I will do everything in my power to combat antisemitism whenever and wherever we see it. 

On the topic of antisemitism, I know, across the country, many Jewish parents, grandparents are worried for their children who are on college campuses.  And I know many Jewish students have feared attending class in recent months. 

As we know, in a democracy, everyone has a right to make their voices heard.  I believe in the freedom of speech.  I also believe there is no place for hate or violence in our country. 

When individuals participate in calls to violence and harassment against Jews, that is antisemitism, and I condemn it.  When Jews are targeted because of their beliefs or identity and when Israel is singled out because of anti-Jewish hatred, that is antisemitism, and I condemn it. 

     Each university must ensure all students and faculty are safe and secure on campus. 

In the United States of America, we can and we must ensure people can peacefully make their voices heard, while we also stand up for the rule of law and stand up against hate, and this is a priority for me. 

     In conclusion, I will say, everyone, I believe, should have the freedom to practice their religion and express their faith and the freedom to be safe from violence and fear.  In many ways, that is what we are fighting for in this election. 

     Ours is a fight for freedom, like the freedom of a woman to make decisions about her own body, like the freedom to be safe from gun violence, like the freedom to love who you love openly and with pride. 

     So, to the friends gathered, I know part of the reason we are on this call together is we love our country.  And I do believe it is the highest form of patriotism, of an expression of love for our country to fight for the ideals of our country. 

     Election Day is in 25 days, and early voting is already starting in some states.  So, let’s, please, in the spirit of the holidays and in the spirit of this moment, let’s please use these next 25 days to continue the work of building community and building coalitions.  Let’s remind each other we have so much more in common than what separates us. 

     And let’s implement that spirit by also texting our friends, family members, and neighbors to make sure they know the stakes and to make sure they know their power in this moment. 

     And as we continue to energize, organize, and mobilize, let us know that we are all in this together, in this fight for our democracy, for our country. 

     And as I always say, when we fight, we win. 

     Thank you all.  And please take care. 

Thank you. 

                               END                 11:16 A.M. MST