This interview is part of Moment’s Jewish Political Voices Project. To learn more about the project, click here. To see our other participants, click here. To see all posts from Jeff, click here.
Age: 21
Occupation: Student at Tufts University
Location: Raleigh, NC
Party Registration: Independent
Jewish Denomination: Conservative
Current 2024 Vote: Kamala Harris
2020 Vote: Joe Biden
Family: Mother, father, two younger brothers
News Sources: The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Economist, Fox, CNN, MSNBC, NPR, The Daily, Pod Save America
Who are you voting for and why?
I’m voting for Kamala Harris, because I believe in her vision for America. I am confident, following her pick of Tim Walz as VP, that she will not only be able to reestablish and reprioritize our democratic principles but also move forward on a more progressive vision for our country.
What is your greatest hope if Harris is elected and greatest fear if she isn’t?
If Harris is elected, I hope for a cease-fire deal as soon as possible. And I hope for Roe v. Wade to be codified as the law. My greatest fear if Trump is elected is a complete devolution of our democracy to a quasi-dictatorship that enables some of the worst kinds of Americans to follow through on some really horrible, oppressive, xenophobic policies—policies that will ultimately make all of our lives worse off, except for probably the top 1 percent. I would also say that if Kamala Harris gets elected, and it turns out that she was simply kind of leaning on the progressives in order to get certain voting blocs, whereas in reality she just wants to carry out the status-quo Democrat policies, I would be very disappointed.
How big of a factor is U.S. policy toward Israel in your choice?
It’s not the only factor, but it is a major factor, and Harris would overwhelmingly be the best choice for foreign policy toward Israel. Having a relationship with Israel doesn’t mean saying yes to everything all the time. That’s not what we’re trying to do. I believe Harris can stand up in a way that Trump wouldn’t, because Trump likes Netanyahu. I would also say, I’m happy and optimistic to see so many young people who originally were not going to vote come around to the fact that if Trump gets elected, Netanyahu gains more power. The occupation will not only continue, but it will increase under a Trump presidency with Netanyahu as a partner. Given what I’ve seen the Biden administration do with executive orders, especially recently, I have 90 to 95 percent confidence that, in regard to the occupation and settlements, Kamala Harris will put her foot down and say this is not OK. Harris also believes in the First Amendment and will not send the National Guard to our college campuses. That’s a real thing that will happen if Trump is president.
How concerned are you about antisemitism at home?
There’s a rise in general of hatred and bigotry. It needs to not only be addressed but managed, if not completely eliminated. I try not to be so idealistic that I think that we can just dismantle a 3,000-year-old prejudice in one year. But I’m not going to shy away from the work either. Right now, we are focusing a lot on antisemitism on the left, which is real—I won’t argue that it doesn’t exist. However, when we look at it through a 2024 election lens, we need to be a lot more understanding of the fact that antisemitism is deeply seeded on the right. Antisemitism, whether the Republican Party acknowledges it or not, is part of how they are going to carry out this next administration—if, God forbid, they get the chance. The Biden-Trump debate, when Trump called Biden a “bad Palestinian,” was one of the weirdest moments I’ve seen in my life.
Do you think the country is in for a tough time politically no matter who wins?
To put it one way, I’ve only lived through unprecedented times. I was five years old when Barack Obama was elected. I went through the Obama presidency, and then Trump and Biden. I’m used to there always being something politically dramatic around the corner. But my internship this past summer on Capitol Hill reinvigorated my belief that there are people out there who may not get a lot of press time but who are serving their constituents and the country, who are upholding democracy. Two months ago, I was really pessimistic about this election. I would have voted for Biden—but not super happily—and I truly believed that we had to start preparing for the worst. But since my internship, and since Kamala Harris became the Democratic candidate, I’ve become much more optimistic.