Former US vice president Kamala Harris confronted protests over Israel’s war in Gaza during the launch of her book tour in New York on Wednesday, criticising President Donald Trump for giving Israel “a blank cheque” and expressing compassion for Palestinians.“What’s happening to the Palestinian people is outrageous and it breaks my heart,” Harris told a packed Times Square performance centre after being interrupted by the first of four pro-Palestinian protesters. “Donald Trump has given (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu a blank cheque to do whatever he wants.”The event centred on her new book 107 Days, released Tuesday, which recounts her fast-paced campaign against Trump following Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race. Due to high demand, Harris added a second appearance at the 1,500-seat venue.Outside, dozens of activists protested, while inside, demonstrators accused her of complicity in the war. One shouted, “Your legacy is genocide. The blood of the Palestinians is on your hands.” Another woman said, “This is your fault.” Harris urged the audience to “take the temperature down” and acknowledged, “I understand your concern and how you feel — I think I do.” Harris reminded the crowd she had spoken publicly about starvation in Gaza a year and a half ago, despite resistance from the Biden administration. “The reality of it is where we are right now didn’t have to be this way — in terms of the blank check that this president has given,” she said.Over the evening, Harris repeatedly criticised Trump, likening him and his allies to “a communist dictatorship” for suppressing dissent. Earlier, Trump had attacked her on social media, calling her “DUMB AS A ROCK” after she described the 2024 election as the closest of the 21st century. He wrote: “A TOTAL LIE! I expect an apology.”The US does not elect presidents by popular vote. Trump lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton in 2016 but won the presidency through the electoral college. His 2024 victory over Harris, 312-226, was not the closest in recent history.Harris, who turns 61 next month, has not disclosed her future political plans. At the event, opinions were divided: Valerie Lewis, 56, said she would “love” Harris to run for president again, while her husband Eugene Dixon, 65, disagreed, saying, “She can’t do it. I don’t believe America is ready to have a woman president.”
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