Activists advocating for Palestine confront intricate choices as Democrats convene to bolster the rising Kamala Harris.
The mix of anticipation for Harris' new campaign and indignation among pro-Palestinian groups over the US government backing Israel's conflict in Gaza has created an peculiar, unstable vibe around the DNC, commencing on Monday in Chicago.
The Democrats' quinquennial event consistently pulls in progressive activists and leftist organizations seeking to capitalize on global media attention, acting as a platform for dissent, even in tranquil times.
This year's iteration won't deviate from the trend. Anti-government protests, organized by local and national groups, marches, and vigils are planned. Furthermore, there's a likelihood of disturbances to the DNC proceedings at the United Center during the week. On the brighter side, Democrats, having recently escaped anxiety over Biden's poor projections, will celebrate Harris as the party's first Black female presidential nominee and the only candidate to achieve such a delayed surge in support.
However, uncertainty prevails concerning the speakers and their remarks on the most divisive subject in Democratic politics. Israel and Gaza are seldom recognized as top issues among voters, but the conflict's emotional nature has sparked intense, emotional debates within the party.
But as the convention draws near, leading progressive groups, anti-war activists, and Arab-American and Palestinian activists are confronting a stark contrast from a month ago – following Biden's announcement of stepping down.
"When Biden stepped down, many in the Uncommitted group, anti-war voters breathed a sigh of relief," remarked Waleed Shahid, a progressive strategist and co-founder of the Uncommitted National Movement. "Then, there were signs of progress. Harris didn't attend Netanyahu's speech, she didn't remain silent about the killing of civilians, and she expressed more empathy towards the high death toll of Palestinian civilians in Gaza."
The optimism, fueled by Harris's altered rhetoric and the renewed belief in defeating Trump, granted her temporary respite with activists. Protestsinterrupted a couple of her speeches, and campus demonstrations are on hold until students return, but the movement's leaders primarily resorted to diplomatic methods to advocate for policy changes.
Harris interacted with Layla Elabed and Abbas Alawieh, co-founders of Uncommitted, before a speech in Detroit on August 7, expressing her willingness to reconsider an arms embargo on Israel, according to the activists. Harris' national security advisor, Phil Gordon, dismissed the embargo talk the following day, stating that Harris would "work towards safeguarding civilians in Gaza and upholding international humanitarian law."
After the conversation with Harris, Elabed expressed cautious optimism. "I understand that she agreed to discuss an arms embargo, not implement one," she said. "She agreed to consider policy changes that could save lives and potentially earn our support."
Prior to this, Uncommitted presented a series of demands to the DNC to bring the Gaza issue to the fore during the convention. Although few could have been approved – such as adopting a commitment to withhold unrestricted weapons from Israel and providing office space to Uncommitted staff – the group has relentlessly pushed for a prominent speaking slot for Dr. Tanya Haj-Hassan, a pediatric physician who has witnessed the devastation in Gaza and detailed it in distressing detail.
Despite their efforts, there's been no indication that Haj-Hassan will appear on stage. One reliable source in the Uncommitted camp stated that the DNC reviewed their demands, but has not engaged since. As of Friday, it appears no Palestinian-American speakers are slated to speak.
The DNC did not respond to requests for comment, but a source involved in convention planning acknowledged uncertainty regarding how to address unrealistic requests, although goodwill remains. Nevertheless, the future is uncertain.
"At the convention – along with my fellow uncommitted delegates – I will advocate for Harris to support a permanent ceasefire and an arms embargo," June Rose, an uncommitted delegate from Rhode Island, stated on social media. "We will make our voices heard in Chicago."
"It's an integral part of the party, its base, and allowing pro-Palestinian speakers would be more than just a goodwill gesture," Abed Ayoub, national executive director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, indicated. "Politically, it makes sense for them to do it. But it isn't surprising if they don't. This is consistent with the leadership's approach to this issue."
Ayoub, commending Harris for boosting interactions with activist groups and picking Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate, was part of Dr. Jill Stein's vice presidential vetting procedure, once more the Green Party's presidential candidate. He spoke to CNN as an ADC leader, yet admitted to submitting forms requested by Stein's team. (Stein selected Rudolph "Butch" T. Ware III, an Africa and Islam historian, who made aggressive anti-Israel remarks on his social media on October 7, 2023, for the role.)
As the election enters its crunch time, the critical query for Harris's campaign and party leadership revolves around whether the vice president will suggest or propose any substantial modifications – or adjustments – to US policy in the region. Harris's supporters argue her hands are tied due to her role in Biden's administration.
However, activists pose a different viewpoint, stating that she holds a direct line to the president and thus, has more sway than most.
"The message conveyed to this segment of the Democratic party is that the only alternative to bombing Netanyahu with American bombs is nonexistent," said Shahid. "That's what people are hearing. They're not accepting, 'Oh, it's the vice president. She doesn't agree.' That's not satisfactory."
Lexis Zeidan, a Palestinian-American Christian co-chair of Uncommitted and the Not Another Bomb campaign director, echoed the same sentiments. The campaign's status quo messaging, though better than a few weeks ago when Biden was still running, required more substance if it was to win back votes in November.
"The community is not a monolith. Some are extremely skeptical given the Democratic Party's actions during the past 10 months," Zeidan told CNN. "Some people are eagerly waiting to hear something – the right thing – so they can support and mobilize behind her."
The desire for a meaningful shift, Zeidan added, was not about personal feelings but harsh political realities.
"I can't tell my community that I 'feel' or 'think' Vice President Harris is more sympathetic to Palestinians, so we should vote for her. That's not going to work. People want to vote for something," she said. "They want to see an end to the chaos. They want to vote for someone who is going to put an end to that."
The Uncommitted National Movement, which initially emerged to consolidate protest votes against Biden's policy in Israel and Gaza, has been the most successful among anti-war, pro-Palestinian groups in interacting with Harris's team and convention organizers. The dialogue between them mirrors the mutually beneficial positioning witnessed during Biden's 2020 campaign and progressive allies of Sen. Bernie Sanders following the primary.
However, the Harris campaign is also engaging outside mainstream progressive circles, holding talks with elected officials and Jewish and Arab American community leaders in Michigan this week, according to sources privy to the meetings.
These conversations, scheduled for Thursday in the Detroit metro area, have been in the works for several weeks, according to one source. They represent the most recent indication that the campaign recognizes the electoral stakes of winning over progressives and young voters, as well as Muslim and Arab American communities – crucial voting blocs in the battleground state of Michigan.
Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez and Nasrina Bargzie, in charge of the Harris campaign's outreach to Arab American and Muslim communities, were part of these discussions, according to two attendees.
Osama Siblani, publisher of the Arab American News, held a meeting with the campaign officials, stating they had a "straightforward and honest discussion."
"I conveyed my deep concerns about what's happening in the Middle East," said Siblani, who met with Chavez Rodriguez earlier this year. The Biden-Harris administration, he told the campaign leaders, "is doing nothing to halt the genocide as they continue to supply Netanyahu's war machine with US-made bombs to kill more people."
Chavez Rodriguez and Ilan Goldenberg, now leading the campaign's outreach to the Jewish American community, also interacted with the Jewish community while in Michigan.
"Julie is traveling to Michigan as part of our campaign's ongoing outreach to communities across the country," said Harris campaign spokesman Ammar Moussa.
According to Sophie Ellman-Golan of Jews For Racial & Economic Justice, the swap of Harris for Biden should not be underestimated – that "opportunity opened up" after the change, and movement leaders felt "more than despair" for the first time in recent memory.
"We're not at war with the Democratic party," Ellman-Golan said. "Elections are about voting for the conditions we want to organize under. We're actively trying to shape those conditions, and the struggle around the DNC is about actively trying to shape those conditions."
Despite the optimism from some progressive groups and activists toward Kamala Harris's changed rhetoric and willingness to consider policy changes regarding Israel and Gaza, there's still uncertainty about whether she will propose any substantial modifications to US policy in the region. This remains a contentious issue in Democratic politics, where support for Palestinians is a significant part of the party's base.
Moreover, the lack of prominent Palestinian-American speakers at the DNC convention has sparked criticism from groups like the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, who view it as an opportunity for goodwill and political sense that hasn't been seized. The approach of the party's leadership to this issue has been consistent, albeit disappointing for many pro-Palestinian activists.
