Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff speaks on the second day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 20, 2024. Photo by Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

By Lauren Markoe August 20, 2024

Doug Emhoff didn’t say the word “Israel,” and barely referred to his signature issue as second gentleman — combatting antisemitism — when he addressed the Democratic National Convention Tuesday night.  The husband of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris did refer to his Jewishness though — but in a way that avoided the most fraught topic at the DNC — how the U.S. should respond to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.

Instead, he credited his wife for connecting him “more deeply to my faith even though it’s not the same as hers.” He said Harris “comes to synagogue with me for high holiday services, and I go to church with her for Easter.” And he gave her what many Jews would consider the highest of compliments. The vice president, he said, “makes a mean brisket for Passover.”

He said “antisemitism” once: Harris “has fought against antisemitism and all forms of hate.” 

Emhoff, the public face of the Biden administration’s national strategy to combat antisemitism, has in the past had much to say about Jews and and bigotry directed against them — and far less about Israel. But during his approximately 12-minute speech to the convention, he kept it light, using some self-deprecating humor to describe the rambling message he left for Harris to arrange their first date. And he painted Harris as the loving stepmother to his two grown children, Cole and Emma Emhoff, who were teenagers when the couple married 10 years ago and nicknamed Harris “Momala.”

Speakers in the first two days of the Chicago convention have either avoided talking about Israel altogether, or handled it gingerly. The gathering of Democratic delegates comes on the heels of primaries in which more than 700,000 people signaled frustration with the Biden administration’s approach to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. When victims of Oct. 7 and Israeli hostages in Gaza are addressed on the convention stage, they are most often paired with remarks about Palestinian suffering.

Like most American Jews, Emhoff feels a connection to Israel. In the wake of Oct. 7, he met with the families of those still held hostage by Hamas. He has been to Israel at least once, in 2017 when he was 53 and Harris was a U.S. senator from California. She was about to embark on her third trip to Israel, as part of a Congressional delegation. He had never been, so she invited him along.

Here’s a sampling of what Emhoff has said about his and Biden and Harris’ views on Israel in the past:

“As an American Jew, I am so grateful that in this moment of tumult and pain we have leaders like @POTUS and @VP. I know that under their leadership the United States will continue to stand with Israel and will combat the rising tide of antisemitism.” — Tweet, Oct. 11, 2023

“Like all Jews, I feel a deep, visceral connection to Israel and its people. The images we are seeing from Israel will be seared in our brains forever. This was the mass murder of innocent civilians. We grieve with you, and we stand with you.” — Tweet, Oct. 20, 2023

“When Jews are targeted because of their beliefs or identity, and when Israel is singled out because of anti-Jewish hatred, that is antisemitism and it must be condemned — and condemned unequivocally and without context.” — White House menorah lighting ceremony, Dec. 7, 2024

“In the immediate aftermath of October 7th, I stood beside President Biden as he condemned the pure evil Hamas unleashed into the world and staunchly proclaimed his support for the Jewish people and Israel. He reaffirmed America’s ironclad commitment to Israel’s security, and that hasn’t changed. President Biden and Vice President Harris are steadfast in their support of Israel and the entire Jewish community. — Rose Garden Ceremony to mark Jewish American Heritage Month, May 20, 2024

“Vice President Harris has been and will be a strong supporter of Israel as a secure Democratic and Jewish state and she will always ensure that Israel can defend itself, period. That’s who Kamala Harris is.” — In a Zoom call with the Jewish Democratic Council of America, July 24, 2024  

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