Greater attention to human rights abroad could boost support for Harris among key Democratic voting groups.
Protesters at the March on Washington for Gaza, Jan. 13, 2024, in Washington, DC (cc) Elvert Barnes Photography, via Wikimedia Commons.
In their 2020 campaign, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris pledged to reestablish U.S. global leadership and “revitalize our national commitment to advancing human rights and democracy around the world.” The Biden-Harris administration has made important strides towards this goal and Harris, now the Democratic Party’s nominee for president in 2024, is running on these achievements.
Harris has pitched herself as the presidential candidate for freedom. This may boost voter support, as key Democratic Party constituencies are concerned with human rights and democracy in the United States – and also abroad, especially if she manages to signal a departure from Biden’s policy on Israel.
Renewed support for democracy
When they took office in January 2021, Biden and Harris reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to international agreements and institutions such as NATO, the Paris climate accord, and the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), which the Trump administration had undermined. The new administration also worked to strengthen U.S. alliances, earning high approval ratings from constituents, international relations experts, and world leaders in its first months and in the years since.
In addition, the administration has helped defend democratic allies with military aid, including over $55 billion to Ukraine. The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights reports more than 11,000 Ukrainian civilian casualties since Russia’s February 2022 invasion. The war has displaced over 9 million Ukrainians, both within the country and throughout Europe.
The U.S. government has also armed Taiwan against Chinese threats and offered diplomatic support, even as the United States maintains its long-standing position of “strategic ambiguity,” designed to not flame tensions with China.
At home, in 2021, the Biden-Harris administration began reversing discriminatory and inhumane immigration policies, including the Muslim and African travel bans and the family separation policy. The next year, the administration rejoined the UNHRC, which the Trump administration had abandoned in 2018. As a council member once more, the United States joined key resolutions confronting human rights abuses in many countries around the world. The administration also lifted Trump’s sanctions on officials at the International Criminal Court in 2021. Most recently, in 2023, the Biden-Harris administration agreed to cooperate with the court’s investigation into reported war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Russia-Ukraine War.
Do Biden and Harris agree on Gaza?
America’s commitment to international institutions and human rights has been far more mixed when it comes to Israel-Palestine, however. The administration voted down UNHRC resolutions criticizing reported illegal conduct by Israeli forces in Gaza and the West Bank. The administration also vehemently denies reports that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, even as the International Court of Justice reviews what judges so far think are plausible violations of the U.N. Genocide Convention. The United States has also challenged the International Criminal Court’s jurisdiction over Israeli forces for alleged atrocities in Palestine.
Biden’s Israel policy is arguably Harris’ greatest liability on the human rights front. His stance is at odds with the Democratic base, especially progressives and younger voters. Since becoming the Democratic nominee, Harris has been trying to create some daylight between her and Biden – particularly on Israel.
Speeches and comments by Harris spotlight Palestinians’ suffering since Israel retaliated against Gaza following the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks, when Hamas militants killed more than 1,200 Israelis and took hundreds of Israelis hostage. Since then, Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, displaced hundreds of thousands of people, and left the population facing famine conditions.
Gaza has become a major campaign issue
Harris has affirmed Israel’s right to security and self-defense, and emphasized Palestinians’ right to “dignity, security, freedom and self determination.” Biden has expressed similar sentiments in the past, but his diplomatic and military aid to Israel has overshadowed these statements. Some analysts now question whether Biden sees a “red line” for Israel, or if Israel can act with impunity.
Harris’ stronger stance may appeal to some U.S. voters, including Arab Americans and Muslims, who make up an increasingly important part of the U.S. electorate in key states. For these voters, the war in Gaza is now a central issue – so much so that a large contingent had resolved earlier this year to defeat then-candidate Biden in November.
A Harris victory may well depend on Arab American and Muslim voters in key swing states like Michigan. And the Democratic ticket will no doubt need strong turnout from people of color and younger voters. These constituencies tend to vote more for the Democratic Party, and their support helped send Biden and Harris to the White House in 2020.
Though Harris hasn’t laid out her full foreign policy agenda, greater attention to human rights could reinforce her domestic freedom message and strengthen her appeal among key voting groups.
Do voters care about human rights and foreign policy?
While some have questioned whether Americans care about human rights, foreign policy, and the U.S. role in the world, there is evidence that they do. And, as a commentary here on Good Authority points out, foreign policy is very much on the 2024 ballot.
In March, Gallup reported that 75% of Democrats (compared to 30% of Republicans and 60% of Independents) disapproved of Israel’s military action in Gaza, with 53% of Democrats disapproving of Biden’s handling of the situation (compared to 84% of Republicans and 79% of Independents).
In addition, according to Pew surveys, “Majorities of Americans see current global conflicts as important to U.S. interests and to them personally,” whether it’s the Israel-Hamas War, the Russia-Ukraine War, or tensions between China and Taiwan.
Foreign policy reveals U.S. divisions
Perhaps unsurprisingly, foreign policy issues reveal a large partisan divide. Also according to Pew, more Democrats than Republicans say promoting human rights abroad should be a top priority for the United States – and likewise for strengthening the United Nations, supporting Ukraine, aiding refugees, and finding a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
There is also an age divide on these issues. Pew finds that adults under 30 are much more likely than older Americans to prioritize promoting human rights around the world.
Foreign policy doesn’t tend to be a major voting issue for Black Americans – a prime Democratic constituency. But connections between Black Americans and Palestinians have deepened in recent years, as both communities have engaged in activism against state violence.
Again, Harris hasn’t fully spelled out her foreign policy agenda, and it’s not likely that her presidency would fully overturn U.S. foreign policy. But she seems poised to more meaningfully integrate human rights in U.S. foreign policy than Biden – and certainly more so than Trump. Whether she gets the opportunity to realize this vision depends on the election, now just over two months away.
Kelebogile Zvobgo - August 30, 2024
Originally published in Good Authority, cc: 4.0