Harris calls for direct talks between Israel, P.A.

By Donald H. Harrison

SAN DIEGO – Democratic  U.S. Senate candidate Kamala Harris, currently California’s attorney general, said on Friday, June 3,  she believes there should be a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians that is directly negotiated by the parties.

“That is the only way we are going to reach a resolution and we have to respect the sovereignty of Israel to make its decisions,” she told a reporter following a rally at Local 393o of the United Domestic Workers.  California’s primary election will be held Tuesday, June 7.

“Israel is one of our best if not our best friend that we have in the world, especially in that region and we have to honor that relationship,” she said.

Harris’ comments came the same day that 30 nations, including the United States, met in France to discuss ways of bringing Israel and the Palestinians to the peace table.

“We can’t force anyone to do that but we need a two-state solution,” the Democratic senatorial candidate said.

Asked for comment on a bill going through the California Legislature that would prohibit the state from doing business with companies that subscribe to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel, she responded, “we’ve been reviewing it,” adding “we haven’t fully analyzed it.”

She was similarly non-committal about the expected platform fight at the Democratic National Convention when supporters of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vermont, are expected to push for a platform that is more favorable to the Palestinian cause than past ones were.

In her speech to the UDW, Harris emphasized what she described as the 5E’s of her campaign – Education, Economy, Environment, Equality and Engagement.

With numerous office holders standing at the podium with her including former state Assembly Speakers Toni Atkins and John Perez, San Diego City Councilmembers Todd Gloria and Myrtle Cole, as well as other candidates and union officials, Harris led off with education as a key concern for state voters.

“You don’t have to care about children to care about children,” she said, explaining that unless children receive a good education in elementary school, the odds are against them being successful in life.  She said those elementary school students who are regularly truant are three to four times more likely to be high school drop outs.  And, she said, 80 percent of the people in the state’s prisons are high school drop outs.  Her message was that people who want to prevent crime should invest in education.

The economy is an important factor in improving attendance rates, she said.  When younger children get  sick, families that can’t afford day care often ask the older child to stay home to take care of the little ones so the parents can work.

To applause, she called for a national commitment to support working families.

Concerning the environment, she said “climate change is real, caused by human beings.”  She said she favors putting federal resources into providing new sources of energy, and water, and building up infrastructure, thereby developing new jobs.  She made a point of complimenting the large desalinization plant recently built in Carlsbad, California, which was created by an Israeli company.

The first African-American woman to serve as California’s attorney general, Harris said she grew up the daughter of two civil rights activists who met at UC Berkeley.  She noted that as attorney general, she refused to defend in court the successful ballot initiative—Proposition 8—that would have prohibited same sex marriages. The measure was later struck down by the courts.

Harris also has been an advocate for women to be able to decide for themselves about reproductive health, telling the audience of campaign workers and union members that denying a woman the decision about reproductive health also denies her the decision about her economic health.

She said that she is troubled by the tendency by some to conflate immigration issues and criminal justice issues .  As the former San Francisco district attorney, she said, she has prosecuted many kinds of criminals, and “an undocumented immigrant is not a criminal.”

As a senator, she said, she will try to assure that America’s role in the world will be its values and its moral leadership.  She said this country must work with its international allies to end terrorism.

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Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World.  He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com   Comments intended for publication in the space below MUST be accompanied by the letter writer’s first and last name and by his/ her city and state of residence (city and country for those outside the United States.)