Harris tells pro-Palestine protesters ‘now is time for ceasefire’ in Gaza

People chanted ‘free, free Palestine’ during Democratic presidential candidate’s speech at Arizona rally.

United States Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has told pro-Palestine protesters who interrupted her campaign rally in Arizona that now is the time for a ceasefire deal in Israel’s war on Gaza.

The demonstrators shouted, “Free, free Palestine” as Harris spoke to an estimated 15,000 people in the city of Glendale in Arizona, one of the states she’s vying to win to defeat her Republican opponent Donald Trump.

Pausing her speech on Friday to directly address the protesters, Harris said: “I have been clear: now is the time to get a ceasefire deal and get the hostage deal done.”

Reporting from Washington, DC, Al Jazeera’s Phil Lavelle said that while Vice President Harris and President Joe Biden had expressed support for a ceasefire, their administration is sending more military aid to Israel as it continues its bombardment of Gaza.

“In her role as vice president, she supports the Biden administration. But her team is also keen on making sure that she’s the one who can push through a ceasefire. It’s like two parallel worlds,” Lavelle said.

Harris also told the protesters, “The president and I are working around the clock every day to get that ceasefire deal done and bring the hostages home. I respect your voices, but we are here to now talk about the race in 2024.”

The latest incident highlights the balancing act she has to make to address a segment of her party’s constituency opposed to Israel’s war in Gaza while avoiding alienating the general electorate sympathetic to Israel.

On Wednesday, when Harris was heckled during a rally in Michigan, she appeared to get frustrated after pro-Palestine protesters repeatedly interrupted her speech as they shouted, “Kamala, Kamala you can’t hide, we won’t vote for genocide.”

Harris’s response was blunt. “You know what, if you want Donald Trump to win, then say that. Otherwise, I’m speaking.”

While a video clip of that Michigan event went viral, some critics said that Harris failed to address the question about the ceasefire and appeared dismissive of the young protesters present.

“Harris is also aware of the public mood, especially in swing states like Michigan,” said Al Jazeera’s Lavelle.

“While Gaza is not getting as much airtime domestically as it is internationally, Harris knows that in states like Michigan, which have huge Arab-American populations, there is a real frustration with the lack of progress. And she’ll be very keen to address that,” he added.

In July, when Harris met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, DC, the vice president had said that her commitment to Israel’s existence and security was “unwavering”, but that she “will not be silent” in the face of the “tragedies” in Gaza.

Qatar, Egypt and the US have called on Israel and Hamas to resume talks on August 15 to reach a ceasefire.

At the same time, the US continues to send billions of dollars in military aid and weapons to Israel as the war in Gaza continues into its 10th month.

Gaza’s Ministry of Health says at least 39,699 people have been killed and 91,722 wounded in Israel’s war on the enclave. An estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks on October 7 and more than 200 were taken captive.

Harris has been on a weeklong tour after naming her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, with a focus on building momentum for her campaign in seven states that could tip the November 5 election.