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Where Kamala Harris VP Pick Tim Walz Stands on Israel
US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her running mate Minnesota Governor Tim Walz hold a campaign event in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, US, Aug. 7, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Kevin Mohatt
US Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris’s decision to tap Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) as her vice-presidential running mate has sent allies of Israel to search for clues about Walz’s views on the Jewish state and the Middle East more broadly.
A review of Walz’s record during his tenure in the US Congress and as a governor shows a general trend of support for Israel. Walz has issued statements supporting Israel’s right to self-defense and affirming the importance of the Jewish state’s existence. However, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee has also raised eyebrows by earning the praise of ardent anti-Israel lawmakers and criticizing the Israeli military’s ongoing campaign targeting Hamas terrorists in Gaza.
While serving in Congress from 2007 to 2019, Walz repeatedly exhibited support for Israel. As a lawmaker he voted to condemn a 2017 United Nations resolution that proclaimed West Bank settlements to be illegal.
Walz attended a 2010 conference for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a prominent pro-Israel lobbying group in the US, in which he called the Jewish state “our truest and closest ally in the region [the Middle East], with a commitment to values of personal freedoms and liberties, surrounded by a pretty tough neighborhood.”
The Minnesota governor criticized anti-Israel protests which broke out on college campuses in the wake of the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas slaughtering 1,200 people in southern Israel on Oct. 7. Walz defended Jewish college students and suggested that anti-Israel activists could be engaging in “intimidation.”
“I think when Jewish students are telling us they feel unsafe in that, we need to believe them, and I do believe them,” Walz said on PBS. “Creating a space where political dissent or political rallying can happen is one thing. Intimidation is another.”
Walz also ordered all state flags across Minnesota to be flown at half mast to honor the victims of the Hamas Oct. 7 terrorist attacks.
In June, Walz emphatically defended the importance of Israel’s existence, insisting that “the ability of Jewish people to self-determine themselves is foundational … The failure to recognize the state of Israel is taking away that self-determination. So it is antisemitic.”
However, Walz’s support for the Jewish state is not absolute. The progressive policymaker has suggested that Israeli policy hampers sustainable peace in the Middle East and has also criticized Israel’s defensive military operations in the Gaza Strip targeting Hamas terrorists.
During a 2009 diplomatic tour throughout the Middle East, Walz criticized Israeli settlements in the West Bank, arguing that they inflame tensions between Jews and Palestinians.
In March, the Minnesota governor called for a permanent “working ceasefire” between Israel and Hamas, citing the need for humanitarian aid in Gaza.
That same month, during an interview with Minnesota Public Radio Walz expressed concern about the level of civilian casualties in the Palestinian enclave.
“You can hold competing things: That Israel has the right to defend itself, and the atrocities of October 7 are unacceptable, but Palestinian civilians being caught in this … has got to end,” he said.
Israel says it has gone to unprecedented lengths to try and avoid civilian casualties, noting its efforts to evacuate areas before it targets them and to warn residents of impending military operations with leaflets, text messages, and other forms of communication. However, Hamas, which rules Gaza, has in many cases prevented people from leaving, according to the Israeli military
Another challenge for Israel is Hamas’ widely recognized military strategy of embedding its terrorists within Gaza’s civilian population and commandeering civilian facilities like hospitals, schools, and mosques to run operations and direct attacks.
Harris’s selection of Walz has earned the praise of pro-Israel Democrats, including Mark Mellman, the chairman of Democratic Majority for Israel’s super PAC, who in a statement called the governor a “proud pro-Israel Democrat with a strong record of supporting the US-Israel relationship.”
However, far-left progressives fiercely critical of Israel have also applauded the selection of Walz, who has taken a conciliatory approach toward the anti-Israel protest movement. For example, Walz praised voters who cast “uncommitted” ballots in Minnesota’s presidential primary to protest US President Joe Biden’s support for Israel as being “civically engaged.”
“This issue is a humanitarian crisis; they have every right to be heard,” Walz said at the time, referring to the situation in Gaza. “These folks are asking for a change in course; they’re asking for more pressure to be put on.”
Several of the most prominent anti-Israel members in Congress celebrated the selection of Walz, although they primarily focused in their public comments on his progressive domestic policy agenda rather than his views on the Jewish state.
The post Where Kamala Harris VP Pick Tim Walz Stands on Israel first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Brooklyn Nets Select Israeli Basketball Players Ben Saraf, Danny Wolf in NBA Draft
The opening tip between the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards, at Barclays Center, in Brooklyn, New York, Dec. 13, 2020. Photo: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
In a landmark night for Israeli basketball, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf were selected in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft by the Brooklyn Nets, marking the first time two Israeli players have been drafted in the same year.
Saraf, a 19-year-old guard known for his explosive athleticism and creative playmaking, was taken with the 26th pick. A standout with Maccabi Rishon LeZion and a rising star on Israel’s youth national teams, Saraf gained international attention with his electrifying scoring and commanding court presence.
With the 27th pick, the Nets selected 7-foot center Danny Wolf out of the University of Michigan. Wolf, who holds dual US-Israeli citizenship and represented Israel at the U-20 level, brings a versatile skill set, including sharp passing, perimeter shooting, and a strong feel for the game. After his name was called, Wolf grew emotional in an on-air interview, crediting his family for helping him reach the moment.
“I have the two greatest brothers in the world; I have an unbelievable sister who I love,” Wolf said. “They all helped me get to where I am today, and they’re going to help me get to where I am going to go in this league.”
The historic double-pick adds to the growing wave of Israeli presence on the NBA stage, led by Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija, who just completed a breakout 2024–25 season. After being traded to Portland last summer, Avdija thrived as a starter, averaging 16.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists. In March alone, he posted 23.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game, including two triple-doubles.
“I don’t think I’ve played like this before … I knew I had it in me. But I’m not really thinking about it. I’m just playing. I’m just free,” Avdija told reporters in March
With Saraf and Wolf joining Avdija, Israel’s basketball pipeline has reached unprecedented visibility. Israeli President Isaac Herzog called the moment “a national celebration for sports and youth,” and Israeli sports commentators widely hailed the night as “historic.”
Both Saraf and Wolf are expected to suit up for the Nets’ Summer League team in July. As the two rookies begin their NBA journey, they join a growing generation of Israeli athletes proving that their game belongs on basketball’s biggest stage.
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Iran Denies Any Meeting With US Next Week, Foreign Minister Says
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi attends a press conference following a meeting with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, April 18, 2025. Photo: Tatyana Makeyeva/Pool via REUTERS
Iran currently has no plan to meet with the United States, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Thursday in an interview on state TV, contradicting US President Donald Trump’s statement that Washington planned to have talks with Iran next week.
The Iranian foreign minister said Tehran was assessing whether talks with the US were in its interest, following five previous rounds of negotiations that were cut short by Israel and the US attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The US and Israel said the strikes were meant to curb Iran’s ability to create nuclear weapons, while Iran says its nuclear program is solely geared toward civilian use.
Araqchi said the damages to nuclear sites “were not little” and that relevant authorities were figuring out the new realities of Iran’s nuclear program, which he said would inform Iran’s future diplomatic stance.
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Ireland Becomes First European Nation to Advance Ban on Trade With Israeli Settlements
A pro-Hamas demonstration in Ireland led by nationalist party Sinn Fein. Photo: Reuters/Clodagh Kilcoyne
Ireland has become the first European nation to push forward legislation banning trade with Israeli communities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem — an effort officials say is meant “to address the horrifying situation” in the Gaza Strip.
On Wednesday, Irish Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Simon Harris announced that the legislation has already been approved by the government and will now move to the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade for pre-legislative scrutiny.
“Ireland is speaking up and speaking out against the genocidal activity in Gaza,” Harris said during a press conference.
The Irish diplomat also told reporters he hopes the “real benefit” of the legislation will be to encourage other countries to follow suit, “because it is important that every country uses every lever at its disposal.”
Today Ireland becomes the first country in Europe to bring forward legislation to ban trade with the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Ireland is speaking up and speaking out against the genocidal activity in Gaza.
Every country must pull every lever at its disposal. pic.twitter.com/Z4RTjqntEY— Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) June 24, 2025
Joining a growing number of EU member states aiming to curb Israel’s defensive campaign against the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, Ireland’s decision comes after a 2024 advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared Israel’s presence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem illegal.
The ICJ ruled that third countries must avoid trade or investment that supports “the illegal situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”
Once implemented, the law will criminalize the importation of goods from Israeli settlements into Ireland, empowering customs officials to inspect, seize, and confiscate any such shipments.
“The situation in Palestine remains a matter of deep public concern,” Harris said. “I have made it consistently clear that this government will use all levers at its disposal to address the horrifying situation on the ground and to contribute to long-term efforts to achieve a sustainable peace on the basis of the two-state solution.”
“Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory are illegal and threaten the viability of the two-state solution,” the Irish diplomat continued. “This is the longstanding position of the European Union and our international partners. Furthermore, this is the clear position under international law.”
Harris also urged the EU to comply with the ICJ’s ruling by taking a more decisive and “adequate response” regarding imports from Israeli settlements.
“This is an issue that I will continue to press at EU level, and I reiterated my call for concrete proposals from the European Commission at the Foreign Affairs Council this week,” he said.
Last week, Ireland and eight other EU member states — Finland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden — called on the European Commission to draft proposals for how EU countries can halt trade and imports with Israeli settlements, in line with obligations set out by the ICJ.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar condemned the latest move by European countries, calling it “shameful” and a misguided attempt to undermine Israel while it faces “existential” threats from Iran and its proxies, including Hamas.
“It is regrettable that even when Israel is fighting an existential threat which is in Europe’s vital interest — there are those who can’t resist their anti-Israeli obsession,” the top Israeli diplomat said in a post on X.
It is regrettable that even when Israel fighting an existential threat which is in Europe vital interest – there are those who can’t resist their anti-Israeli obsession.
Shameful! https://t.co/lxm9qm8sM1— Gideon Sa’ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) June 19, 2025
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