Foreign policy and wars: the confrontation between Harris and Trump
In the presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, the two candidates clashed on foreign policy issues, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the war in Ukraine, and the trade war with China. Harris reiterated Israel's right to defend itself and stressed the importance of a two-state solution. Trump avoided details on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and promised to end the war in Ukraine without providing details on how to achieve this. Both debated trade tariffs with China
3' min read
3' min read
Former US President Donald Trump and Vice-President Kamala Harris challenged each other on Tuesday night in a heated and highly anticipated presidential debate, the first - and perhaps only - confrontation ahead of the 5 November elections.
With less than two months before the vote and with polls indicating a head-to-head, the 90-minute debate was crucial for both. For Harris, it was the first opportunity to address voters directly since he made his candidacy official. For Trump, it was an opportunity to revitalise a campaign that has so far struggled to adapt to Harris's entrance.
Domestic policy issues such as the economy, border security and abortion dominated the scene, but foreign policy also played a prominent role. The two candidates clashed on global issues of primary importance to the US, including the trade war with China, the conflict between Israel and Hamas, and support for Ukraine against Russia.
Israel-Hamas
Harris's positions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have been closely monitored since he replaced Biden, especially to assess any deviations from the line with the president, who is historically close to Israel. Harris reiterated Israel's right to defend itself against Hamas attacks and stressed that the country's security will always be a priority for his administration. However, he recalled the importance of minimising civilian casualties and emphasised his commitment to a two-state solution that also guarantees security and self-determination for the Palestinians. His speech was in line with what he said at the Democratic National Convention last month.
Trump, on the contrary, preferred to avoid details on how to deal with the humanitarian crisis in Gaza or possible negotiations between Israel and Hamas. Instead, he insisted that, had he been president, the war would never have broken out. He also attacked Harris with accusations unsupported by evidence, claiming that he 'hates Israel' and that under his presidency the Jewish state would 'no longer exist in two years'.
