Kamala Harris, Trump commemorate somber anniversary of October 7 Hamas attack

Trump plans to visit the New York City gravesite of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the seventh leader of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, who led the Orthodox Jewish community from 1951 until his death in 1994. Following this visit, he will address Jewish community leaders at one of his resorts in Doral, Florida.

Meanwhile, Harris will speak briefly with journalists and, alongside her husband, plant a pomegranate tree at the Vice President’s Residence in memory of those who lost their lives a year ago. Earlier, Harris’s husband, Doug Emhoff, who is Jewish, recited a prayer for peace at a commemorative event hosted by the American Jewish Committee in Washington.

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden also held a solemn memorial ceremony at the White House to mark the anniversary. During the event, Rabbi Aaron Alexander of Washington’s Adas Israel Congregation recited the Jewish remembrance prayer for the victims, including dozens of Americans. The president lit a memorial candle placed on a small table in the Blue Room, after which a moment of silence was observed.

Earlier on Monday, Biden spoke with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, as reported by the White House.

The October 7 attack ignited a deadly war in Gaza, with Israel launching military operations aimed at dismantling Hamas’ control over the territory and retrieving hostages. According to the Hamas-run health ministry, Israel’s military campaign has resulted in over 41,000 Palestinian casualties, including many women and children, without differentiating between militants and civilians.

Iran has recently launched large missile salvos at Israel, most recently a week ago, while the US maintains troops and weaponry in the region to assist Israel in intercepting them.

Trump has accused both Harris and Biden of exacerbating the war, claiming their administration has empowered Iran. He has attempted to capitalise on divisions within the Democratic Party, as progressives protest Israel’s military actions.

Some of Trump’s remarks regarding Israel overlook his associations with individuals who have made antisemitic comments, including far-right activist Nick Fuentes and rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West.

Trump has repeatedly stated that Jewish voters who support Democrats “should have their head examined” and recently remarked that if he loses the presidential election to Harris on 5 November, “the Jewish people would really have a lot to do with that.”

In a segment released from an interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes,” which is set to air Monday night, Harris appeared to sidestep a question regarding whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is viewed as “a real close ally.” Instead, she stated, “The better question is: Do we have an important alliance between the American people and the Israeli people? And the answer to that question is yes.”

Trump’s own relationship with Netanyahu has been strained. Their ties deteriorated after the Israeli prime minister was among the first world leaders to congratulate Biden on his 2020 victory, which Trump continues to contest. Shortly after the 7 October attack last year, Trump publicly chastised Netanyahu, asserting he “was not prepared” for the deadly incursion from Gaza and that Netanyahu had let the US down just before the US killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in 2020.

Since then, the two have convened to discuss a ceasefire deal for Gaza.