Kamala Harris' appointment of a Jewish liaison director faces criticism over Israel and Iran stance: 'Red flag'

American Jews and Israelis have criticized Kamala Harris' campaign for choosing a liaison who holds views that threaten Israel's security and is too lenient on Iran.

Last week, former President Obama's first administration appointed Jerusalem-born Ilan Goldenberg, who had renounced his Israeli citizenship, sparking criticism from the American Jewish community and Israeli Americans.

In 2021, Goldenberg worked for the Biden administration's Department of Defense. In 2023, he became Harris' Middle East adviser. Critics view the 46-year-old Goldenberg, who was raised in New Jersey, as a controversial choice due to his advocacy for policies that are detrimental to Israel.

According to a senior Republican Congressional staffer who spoke to Planet Chronicle Digital, Goldenberg's role in the Biden-Harris administration has been to undermine Israel. He has played a key role in dragging the entire administration in a direction hostile to Israel and in favor of the Palestinians, and has interfered with efforts to make peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

In February, Planet Chronicle Digital reported that the Biden administration was allegedly ignoring Palestinian terrorism in the West Bank, while imposing sanctions on some extremist Jewish residents during Israel's war against Hamas.

The Israeli government claims its sophisticated legal system can effectively punish Israeli Jews who perpetrate crimes against Palestinians in the settlements.

On Monday, Goldenberg gave his first speech as Harris' director of outreach to the Jewish community at a side event at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

According to Jewish Insider, Harris stated to the audience, "From the start, she was resolute that Israel has the right to defend itself. Israel was attacked on Oct. 7, and Hamas is a terrorist organization. We will support Israel's response, and this is just one aspect of her long-standing commitment to Israel's security, which predates Oct. 7."

Eugene Kontorovich, an American-Israeli law professor, stated to Planet Chronicle Digital that the Jewish community has consistently opposed Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) targeting Israel. He added that Goldenberg, a member of the Biden-Harris administration, has made sanctions on Israelis an official government policy.

According to Kontorovich, who teaches at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School, the selection of Harris by the most extreme far-left Jewish groups demonstrates that she does not feel the need to appeal to the center when it comes to the Jewish vote. Instead, she believes she has it in her pocket, regardless of how hostile she is to Israel.

Halie Soifer, CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, was questioned by Planet Chronicle Digital regarding the criticism directed towards Goldenberg.

She stated her views on the appointment of Ilan Goldenberg in a public comment.

""Goldenberg's appointment highlights @KamalaHarris's commitment to engaging with the Jewish American community," she stated."

She added that Goldenberg is not only a political or campaign hire but an experienced foreign policy expert who has worked directly with the VP on Middle East policy, indicating the significance of this role.

Numerous attempts by Planet Chronicle Digital to contact members of the Harris campaign and Goldenberg were unsuccessful.

Seth Mandel, editor of Commentary magazine, has frequently been incorrect about Middle East policy. According to Mandel, Goldenberg predicted that the relocation of the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem would cause regional upheaval. However, there was no Mideast violence following the U.S.'s establishment of its embassy in Jerusalem.

Mandel rebutted Goldenberg's claim that Obama's Iran nuclear deal would deter Iran from pursuing a bomb, stating, "It didn't." Planet Chronicle Digital reported on August 4 that Iran's regime has moved dangerously close to securing a nuclear weapon device during the Biden administration.

David Milstein, who served as special assistant to the U.S. Ambassador to Israel under President Trump, stated on Planet Chronicle Digital that Ilan Goldenberg's appointment should serve as another warning to Americans who strongly support Israel not to vote for Harris-Walz, who have already shown their support for the antisemitic, pro-Hamas wing of their own party.

Milstein stated that Ilan has a history of holding anti-Israel views that deviate from the bipartisan mainstream in the pro-Israel community and has held senior positions advising some of the most anti-Israel political leaders in recent times, including Secretary John Kerry during the Obama Administration, Elizabeth Warren's presidential campaign, and Vice President Kamala Harris during the Biden administration.

"Radical, left-wing, anti-Israel groups such as J Street are enthusiastic about his appointment."

The Jerusalem Post published an article by its editor-in-chief, Zvika Klein, warning that Israel should be concerned about the appointment of Goldenberg as the campaign's liaison due to his public spat with the campaign.

On Sunday, David Makovsky, director of the Program on Arab-Israel Relations at the Washington Institute of Near East Policy, wrote on X that he is concerned about personal attacks on colleague Ilan Goldenberg. He emphasized that while one may have disagreements with specific policy prescriptions, it is completely wrong to assert that Ilan does not care about Israel's security.

"Gadi Shamni, a former Israeli major general and top military advisor, has served in many senior positions and co-authored a 2017 study with Ilan on security arrangements for a final status deal between Israel and the Palestinians."

Richard Landes, an Israeli-American academic, stated on Planet Chronicle Digital that Kamala Harris's appointment as liaison to the Jewish community is a slap in the face to the majority who care about Israel. On another level, it signals that her administration, along with Walz's, will prioritize the interests of the Muslim-hard 'left' constituency. If Britain's current dilemmas are a sign of the democratic future, then putting Kamala in the White House is accelerating the race to self-destruction.