Editorial 1 : Strained friendship
Introduction: Benjamin Netanyahu’s fourth address to the US Congress — he has now surpassed Winston Churchill in this regard — was marked by disappointments and divisions.
Netanyahu moment to rise as a statesman was lost
- In the run-up to the speech, families of Israeli hostages told US media that they hoped their prime minister would announce a deal to end the violence and return captives. He did not.
- Rather, to the disappointment of those hoping for an end to the war, Netanyahu reiterated that Israel was striving for “total victory” and asked the US for more aid and arms.
- And while he might take heart at the applause at the end of his speech, there is little doubt that America’s political class has never been more divided on its near-unconditional support for Israel.
- This was a moment for Netanyahu to rise to statesmanship — for peace as well as for his country’s interests. He did not step up to it.
Netanyahu has done very least to end this conflict
- The fact is that apart from racking up a growing body count — at least 39,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed since Israel began its retaliation against Hamas’s October 7 attacks — the conflict has done little more than allow the PM to stay on in power.
- Hamas still reportedly holds 150 hostages, Israel faces increasing diplomatic isolation and the International Criminal Court has admitted a case of genocide against Israel.
- National interest, if not humanitarian concern, demands that the Israeli government works urgently towards a ceasefire and builds bridges.
Support to Israel has become an election issue in USA
- Netanyahu attacked those who disagreed with his course of action.
- He said the protesters — many of whom were demonstrating against his actions and presence in the House – “stand with rapists and murders” and that critics of Israel are “Iran’s useful idiots”.
- Ironically, his abuse is directed at many of the leaders he is seeking to woo: Nearly half of the Democratic Party’s legislators, and even some Republicans, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, boycotted the speech and others, like majority leader Chuck Schumer, refused to shake his hand.
- With the presidential election fast approaching, the consensus on supporting Israel — both between parties and within the ruling establishment — is likely to fray further.
Netanyahu tried to woo both democrats and republicans
- Netanyahu praised both President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump in his address, calling the latter an “Irish-American Zionist”.
- However, he has constantly violated the red lines drawn by the White House — with the attacks on Rafah, for example.
- The Democrats are paying a political price for the government’s support for Israel, with many protesters — including university students and urban liberals — being part of the party’s base.
- In fact, at the Democratic primary in Michigan in February, 1,00,000 “uncontested” ballots were cast to register disappointment with Biden’s backing of Israel.
- That Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic nominee, chose not to attend Netanyahu’s address, citing a prior commitment, speaks volumes.
Conclusion: Netanyahu is set to meet both Trump and Biden during his visit. It’s time he stopped demanding unconditional support. What is needed is a promise to end the violence and the immediate announcement of a ceasefire.
Editorial 2 : Kamala, an American story
Introduction: A week, they say, is a long time in politics. In the last two weeks, America has seen the assassination attempt of a former president, Donald Trump, the forced abdication of a sitting president Joe Biden, and the rapid acclamation of Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee. Together, the three developments have injected new life into the US elections scheduled for November and turned the race into a close battle, and a sharp contest of political ideas.
Kamala’s Indian roots
- Kamala Harris also happens to have both African and Asian lineage.
- Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, had migrated from Tamil Nadu to the US for higher studies in California.
- There she married a fellow student from Jamaica, Donald Jasper Harris.
- Kamala was brought up by her mother after her parents separated.
Kamala Harris’s Indian Roots: Beyond Superficial
- Harris’s Indian heritage will likely dominate Indian media coverage of US elections
- This focus may overshadow discussion of her actual politics and policies
- India should become accustomed to its diaspora achieving high positions globally
- Personal details like food preferences are less important than political trajectories
- Understanding Harris requires critical analysis of Western political landscapes
- Her rise reflects more on American society than on the Indian diaspora specifically
- Harris’s story exemplifies rapid migrant success in America
- Her intellectual background is as much African American as Indian American
- She grew up in an activist environment in 1960s California
- Unlike many Indian-American youths, Harris chose Howard University, a historically Black institution, over Ivy League schools
Beyond Identity Politics
- Viewing Harris solely through Indian or African American lenses is politically reductive
- Adversaries label her as a product of left-wing identity politics
- She’s characterized by some as a “DEI” candidate, emphasizing diversity, equity, and inclusion
- This caricature overlooks Harris’s broader political significance
- Harris represents a new hope for Democrats in a previously pessimistic electoral landscape
- She offers an unexpected chance of success in a seemingly lost election
- Harris embodies a powerful liberal political trend in the US
- She has a realistic opportunity to lead the US at a critical moment in history
- A potential Harris victory over Trump is both possible and potentially consequential
- Her leadership could have significant implications for both the US and the world
Biden’s Abdication and Harris’s Ascension
- Three ‘A’s: Assassin’s bullet, Appearance, and Abdication
- An assassination attempt on Trump two weeks ago boosted his chances of winning
- Trump was initially seen as outperforming Biden in the presidential debate
- Biden, 81, appeared incoherent and unsteady in public appearances
- Despite pressure, Biden initially refused to withdraw from the race
- Biden claimed only “God Almighty” could persuade him to step aside
- Mounting party pressure led to Biden’s abdication on Sunday
- Biden endorsed Kamala Harris as his successor
- Biden’s endorsement didn’t guarantee Harris the nomination
- Party elders moved swiftly to expedite the nomination process
- Quick action avoided a potentially damaging internal party conflict
- The expedited process occurred just three months before the November 5 election
Political chess game between democrats and republicans
- Republicans are of course excoriating the Democrats for engineering a “coup” against Biden and making Harris the new nominee in an “undemocratic coronation”.
- Kamala has brought new energy and enthusiasm to the Democratic Party’s campaign.
- As she challenges Trump with political aplomb, her supporters are describing the election as a contest between a “prosecutor” and a “criminal”.
- Kamala’s relative youth at 59 to Trump’s 78 has turned the ageist argument against the former president.
- If the young supporters of the Democratic Party were beginning to tune out of a battle led by Biden, they are now rallying up behind Harris.
- The liberal establishment that views the potential return of Trump with great concern and deep distaste is going all out to boost Harris’s candidature.
- She will have a tough time if Trump succeeds in defining her as a “radical left lunatic” and a “California socialist” who will end the “American Dream”.
- While her liberal record will activate the base of the Democratic Party, some of her positions, especially on border control and immigration, could put off many voters in the heartland.
Conclusion: Like all left liberals, Harris will also have a challenge in winning over the socially conservative working class in the battleground states of the American rust belt in the mid-West. The big question, then, is whether Kamala Harris can move closer to the centre of the American political spectrum and prevent Trump from tarnishing her as a “crazy San Francisco liberal”.