1. United States
2. Letter

I would be happy to lend my vote and my voice to Kamala Harris’s campaign for president, if she would respond meaningfully to calls for a ceasefire and an arms embargo on Israel. It is beyond offensive for this campaign to pander to the youth vote using memes and cultural references as a “signal” that our voices are being heard without responding to actual youth concerns regarding Israel’s attack on Gaza. To earn my vote, Vice President Harris will need to show that she respects the rulings of the ICJ and intends to uphold the Leahy Law in the U.S.’s dealings with Israel. It is a gross misappropriation of funds to continue to provide aid to a country which has found to be unlawful in its occupation and annexations. Vice President Harris is being shortsighted in her refusal to engage with the reality of Israel’s humanitarian crimes, continuing to reaffirm support for Israel while throwing Muslim and Arab-Americans and their allies under the bus. VP Harris cannot outrun this criticism forever, nor can her campaign continue to condescend to youth voters without meaningful change. If VP Harris chooses to uphold the ICJ’s rulings, refusing to make the US complicit in the genocide of Palestine any further, I will happily vote for her. I will even happily volunteer and canvas for her. I will support a candidate whose humanity wins out over propaganda and money, and the majority of young Americans feel the same way.