Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the running mate of Vice President Kamala Harris, voiced his support for anti-Israel protesters in Michigan during an interview on Thursday, arguing that demonstrators “are speaking out for all the right reasons.” His remarks were made in response to a question from WCMU, a public radio station in Michigan, regarding the Harris-Walz campaign’s stance on the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.

“I think those folks who are speaking out loudly in Michigan are speaking out for all the right reasons. It’s a humanitarian crisis. It can’t stand the way it is, and we need to find a way that people can live together in this,” Walz said, referring to recent protests against Israel’s military actions in Gaza.

“What we saw on October 7 was a horrific act of violence against the people of Israel,” Walz said, reaffirming that Israel has the right to defend itself and emphasizing that “the United States will always stand by that.”

Notably, Walz did not mention Hamas or the murder of six hostages, including U.S. citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin, in his response. Instead, he focused on the need for a ceasefire and a two-state solution, expressing concern over the situation in Gaza. “The Palestinian people have every right to life and liberty themselves,” he added.

Walz also indicated that the U.S. should pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to move towards a peace agreement. “We need the Netanyahu government to start moving in that direction,” he said, calling for a ceasefire and hostages’ release as part of efforts to achieve a sustainable two-state solution.

Walz’s earlier appearances with a Muslim cleric who has shared antisemitic and pro-Hamas content have drawn scrutiny in recent months, and this interview doesn’t help his case in asserting that he is really pro-Israel.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)