A tale of two candidates: how Harris and Trump differ on foreign policy

Both strongly support Israel and revile Iran but have very different stances on Palestinians and the war in Ukraine

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. Reuters

For nearly 40 minutes on Thursday night, Kamala Harris stood on stage at the United Centre in Chicago and laid out her vision for America – one that included maintaining strong relations with allies around the world as the US continues to lead in the defence of Ukraine, and rallying support for a ceasefire and hostage deal to end the war in Gaza.

She sought to portray herself as a steady hand on the tiller, capable of navigating America through the choppy waters of today’s world.

Her speech – crisp and relatively brief – was in stark contrast in nearly all aspects to the address former president Donald Trump delivered at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last month.

But how different is her approach to foreign policy from that of Mr Trump, the man she hopes to beat in November?

Support for Israel

In her address to the Democratic National Convention, Ms Harris tied herself to President Joe Biden’s approach to the Middle East, including his steadfast support of Israel – a stance that continues to be a hallmark of both Democratic and Republican foreign policies.

“I will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself, because the people of Israel must never again face the horror that a terrorist organisation called Hamas caused on October 7,” said Ms Harris.

That sentiment mirrors what Mr Trump has said in the past.

“When I’m back in the Oval Office, I will support Israel’s right to win its war on terror,” the Republican candidate said at a recent campaign event in New Jersey. “They have to have a right to win the war.”

Jeremy Pressman, a professor of political science at the University of Connecticut who focuses on Israel and Palestine, said you could take the formulation of what Ms Harris said on Israel “and Trump could say that, he wouldn't bat an eye”.

Where they differ with respect to the current situation in the Middle East, Mr Pressman told The National, is their views towards Palestinians.

Ms Harris was clear that Palestinians deserve the right to “self-determination”.

“President [Joe] Biden and I are working to end this war such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends and the Palestinian people can realise their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination,” she said.

Mr Trump did not mention Palestinians in his convention speech and in a debate against Mr Biden, he used the term in a derogatory manner in an effort to insult the President.

While in office, he moved the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and changed US policy on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The Biden administration subsequently reverted back to the previous policy, which views settlements as being in breach of international law.

However, Mr Biden only made the move in February, after nearly five months of war in Gaza.

“The Trump administration put out a plan that speaks nothing to dignity, security, freedom or self-determination for Palestinians, other than maybe the name of the idea that there could be a Palestinian state,” Mr Pressman said.

“So, in practice, when Trump had a chance to on the ground to say, 'I actually believe something about Palestinian self-determination', the answer was, 'they don't deserve it'.”

Countering Iran

Iran remains the bogeyman for both Mr Trump and Ms Harris.

The Republican candidate has long accused Democrats of being too soft on Iran and allowing it to creep closer to building a nuclear weapon.

“They took off all the sanctions and they did everything possible for Iran,” Mr Trump said of the Biden administration. “Now Iran is very close to having a nuclear weapon, which would have never happened [under me].”

The former president withdrew the US in 2018 from a deal with Iran that placed limits on its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief.

Following the US exit from the deal, the Trump administration began a “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran, through which it placed a series of new sanctions on the country.

During her address, Ms Harris said she would not “hesitate to take whatever action is necessary to defend our forces and our interests against Iran and Iran-backed terrorists”.

Iranian proxy groups in the Middle East have engaged in a series of strikes on US military bases and personnel that have killed three and injured many more.

Concern is high in Washington that the war in Gaza will spill over across the region, after Israel assassinated a commander of Lebanese Iran-backed militia Hezbollah in Beirut, and is widely held responsible for the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Iran has vowed to retaliate.

Two very different takes on the war in Ukraine

In her speech Ms Harris drew upon her experience working to galvanise global support for Ukraine as an example of her ability to lead on the world stage – something she argued separates her from Mr Trump.

“Trump, on the other hand, threatened to abandon Nato, he encouraged [Russian President Vladimir] Putin to invade our allies, said Russia could, quote, do whatever the hell they want,” she said.

The former president has long been critical of Nato and cut an isolationist path while in office.

“Five days before Russia attacked Ukraine, I met with President [Volodymyr] Zelensky to warn him about Russia's plan to invade. I helped mobilise a global response of over 50 countries to defend against Putin's aggression,” Ms Harris said.

She promised to work with allies, a continuation of what Mr Biden, has attempted to do during his term.

Mr Trump, for his part, believes Mr Putin would not have invaded Ukraine if he had been in office.

“I will end every single international crisis that the current administration has created, including the horrible war with Russia and Ukraine, which would have never happened if I was president,” he said during the RNC.

It is unclear why Mr Trump blames the Biden administration for causing the conflict.

While Congress passed a bill earlier this year allocating $61 billion in aid to Ukraine, vocal opposition from some Republicans showed growing concern within the party over sending more cash and materiel to Kyiv with no end to the war in sight.