Vice President Kamala Harris’ encouraging response to a college student who claimed Israel commits “ethnic genocide” has made her a star — on an Iranian state media outlet, that is.
Press TV, a division of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, shared on Twitter a video of the exchange between Harris and a student at George Mason University.
“Student accuses US of funding ‘ethnic genocide’ by Israel in front of VP Harris,” Press TV tweeted on Thursday.
“Americans are struggling because of a lack of health care, public health care, lack of affordable housing and all this money ends up going to Israel..’ the student said at an event on VOTING RIGHTS!” it added, omitting a comment the student made that criticized funding to Saudi Arabia as well.
Student accuses US of funding “ethnic genocide” by Israel in front of VP Harris
“Americans are struggling because of a lack of health care, public health care, lack of affordable housing and all this money ends up going to Israel..” the student said at an event on VOTING RIGHTS! pic.twitter.com/n2lTSU4qp3
— Press TV (@PressTV) September 30, 2021
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According to The Times of Israel, Harris showed up at the college Tuesday to promote voter registration, then stopped in a class to take questions when one student, irked at the House passage of a bill to give Israel $1 billion for its Iron Dome missile defense system, let loose.
“Just a few days ago there were funds allocated to continue backing Israel, which hurts my heart because it’s ethnic genocide and the displacement of people, the same that happened in America, and I’m sure you’re aware of this,” the student said.
Harris nodded through the student’s comments, even as the student mentioned “ethnic genocide.”
Her lack of defense for Israel drew criticism from former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, along with several high-profile Republicans.
Shameful. There is truth and their are lies. No one is entitled to their personal truth. This attack on Israel is simply a lie and VPOTUS should have called that out.https://t.co/leLOO5C6Cs #FoxNews
— David M Friedman (@DavidM_Friedman) September 29, 2021
Kamala Harris doesn’t have time to go the border, but she apparently has plenty of time to encourage anti-Israel, anti-Semitic falsehoods https://t.co/wY4T6rjdGX
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) September 29, 2021
The irrational and anti-Semitic Israel hate is despicable and dangerous. @Israel allows Arabs in its legislature. How many Jews are allowed to help govern UAE, Syria, Iran, Saudi, Qatar, et al? NONE!
Kamala Harris agrees as Student Bashes Israel https://t.co/fpcWrZD60L— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) September 30, 2021
Harris, however, said she was “glad” the student said what she did.
“And again, this is about the fact that your voice, your perspective, your experience, your truth, should not be suppressed and it must be heard, right? And one of the things that we’re fighting for in a democracy, right?” Harris said.
Harris then offered a vague justification for her failure to stand up for Israel.
“Unity should never be at the expense of telling anyone personally that, for the sake of unity, ‘Oh, you be quiet about that thing. You suppress that thing. Let’s not deal with that thing.’ That’s not unity. True unity is everyone in that room has a voice,” she added, according to the Daily Caller.
She also said that the student’s opinion was simply part of a national debate.
“The point that you are making about policy that relates to the Middle East policy, foreign policy, we still have healthy debates in our country about what is the right path, and nobody’s voice should be suppressed on that,” she said.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.