Walz' comments came in an interview with a local Michigan public radio station — a state with a large Muslim American population that is also a potentially pivotal swing state in this November's election. His comments appeared to mark tonal shift from the steadfast support for Israel that Vice President Kamala Harris espoused at the Democratic National Convention last month.
Walz said the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas that touched off the war, was “a horrific act of violence against the people of Israel. They certainly have the right to defend themselves.” But, he also said that, “we can’t allow what’s happened in Gaza to happen. The Palestinian people have every right to life and liberty themselves.”
Harris' campaign has stepped up its outreach to Arab and Muslim American leaders in Michigan, aiming to make up ground with a community that has condemned U.S. support for Israel.
Harris previously said that it was important to remember “the war in Gaza is not a binary issue. However, too often the conversation is binary, when the reality is anything but.”
