October 25, 2024 | WSJ Letter to the Editor
How Harris Can Turn Up the Heat on Hamas
The administration could use its strong leverage over Qatar to demand it turn over to the U.S. all senior Hamas officials it harbors.
October 25, 2024 | WSJ Letter to the Editor
How Harris Can Turn Up the Heat on Hamas
The administration could use its strong leverage over Qatar to demand it turn over to the U.S. all senior Hamas officials it harbors.
Excerpt
Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s death in Rafah raises questions about the seriousness of U.S. counterterrorism policy, as well as the International Criminal Court’s perversity (“After Sinwar, the ICC Stands Exposed,” Review & Outlook, Oct. 21). Following Sinwar’s death, Vice President Kamala Harris said “to any terrorist who kills Americans . . . or threatens our troops or our interests, know this: We will always bring you to justice.”
Unfortunately, these strong words are inconsistent with the administration’s actions thus far. Had Israel’s military heeded President Biden’s urging to forgo entering Rafah, Sinwar would likely still be leading Hamas. Meanwhile, the administration refrains from robustly using its own law-enforcement authorities to bring Hamas officials to justice.
Orde F. Kittrie is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.