DNC’s silence on Palestine speaks volumes about Harris

Earlier this week, the Uncommitted National Movement requested that the Democratic National Convention (DNC) allow a Palestinian American to speak after the parents of one of the Israeli hostages were allowed to do so:

We are waiting for a phone call from Vice President Harris and the DNC to allow a single Palestinian American speaker to address delegates from the convention stage. #LetPalestineSpeak #NotAnotherBomb pic.twitter.com/nqU7NTX2Um

— Uncommitted National Movement 🌺 (@uncommittedmvmt) August 22, 2024

Palestinian American voices deserve to be heard at the DNC. Still time to make the right decision. We hope they do. #DNC #Palestine #Israel #ceasefire #CEASEFIRE_NOW pic.twitter.com/5XGH3J98UT

— Mandy Patinkin (@PatinkinMandy) August 22, 2024

One side of the story at the DNC

Yesterday at the DNC, the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin addressed the crowd. He is an Israeli-American who is currently being held in hostage in Gaza. Notably, he was born in Berkley California, and he immigrated to Israel with his family in 2008.

During their speech, they stated:

‘it is not a political issue. It is a humanitarian issue’

Importantly, they also mentioned a ceasefire and talked about Biden and Harris both working tirelessly to ‘stop the despair in Gaza’. However, at this point it is worth mentioning that neither Biden or Harris have committed to stop arming Israel. Whilst Harris has publicly mentioned a ceasefire, we have seen little in the way of actual effort in making that happen:

The parents of a hostage are willing to express more sympathy towards the people of Gaza than the tone deaf organizers of the DNC convention.

— Naseem Haffar (@NaseemHaffar) August 22, 2024

Several times now, Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire deal negotiated by various foreign governments.

Each time, the Israeli government have shut it down and taken control of more Palestinian land. All along, Israel has wanted to ‘reserve the right to continue operations in Gaza’. It has been noted by analysts that a permanent ceasefire deal could lead to Netanyahu’s far-right coalition collapsing, meaning early elections.

Realistically, Netanyahu doesn’t give a shit about the lives of the hostages. He cares about staying in power.

Silencing minority voices

Over the last 24 hours, many individuals and campaign groups have spoken out since the DNC said they wouldn’t welcome a Palestinian-American to the stage. This included Muslim Women for Harris-Walz, who have now disbanded in protest:

“Muslim Women for Harris-Walz” is disbanding over the DNC’s refusal to allow a Palestinian-American on stage.

They write: “The family of the Israeli Hostage that was on the stage tonight, has shown more empathy towards Palestinian Americans and Palestinians, than our candidate… pic.twitter.com/Gc2VcHNPxn

— Briahna Joy Gray (@briebriejoy) August 22, 2024

A non-exhaustive list of all the elected officials & groups who have spoken out in just roughly 24 hours since the DNC/Harris campaign said they would not welcome a Palestinian to the convention stage.

(Most, if not all, had endorsed Harris before this): https://t.co/K2DpVSCRhZ pic.twitter.com/KAqYXYHkJX

— Prem Thakker (@prem_thakker) August 23, 2024

As previously reported by the Canary, a recent poll showed that Kamala Harris would earn more votes by supporting an arms embargo on Israel, than on opposing it:

.@KamalaHarris. Arms spending and destruction of Gaza are not fringe issues. Loss and damage in Gaza are unconscionable and the US will be permanently damaged by refusing to #letPalestinespeak. You will not win without uncommitted support. #NotAnotherBomb https://t.co/Ko6cEfLEWo

— Virginia A (for Abolition) Spatz (@DCspatz) August 22, 2024

Over the last four days, the DNC saw speakers from all walks of life and all nationalities. However, they didn’t invite a single Palestinian-American to speak despite Harris’s recent calls for a ceasefire:

I’ve been watching the DNC Convention for hours every night and loving it! I also feel deeply disappointed that @TheDemocrats have not included a speaker from this community when so many others are represented. There’s still time…@KamalaHarris ❤️ https://t.co/kVeyIgYVEt

— Lynne Jackier 🐘 🐳 (@YourNeighbor57) August 22, 2024

Thank you Mandy.
We need to hear the voices of Palestinians in Gaza alongside the voices of the Israeli hostages.
Everyone deserves justice and their human rights restored.
Same goes for the Syrian political prisoners and refugees. https://t.co/QyxqrAGtrK

— Syria Report (@SyriaReport) August 22, 2024

The DNC had the opportunity to show that it stands for what is right – and they squandered that opportunity. They may as well have made a public statement that Palestinian voices don’t matter:

The @DNC is squandering an opportunity to show that it stands for more than politics. It stands for what is right. Don’t claim justice for all when all are not welcomed and heard—especially the most vulnerable. Let a Palestinian American speak tonight @DNC! Not doing so is wrong. https://t.co/4PkPHcCY03

— Michael T McPhearson (@MTMcPhearson) August 22, 2024

The @DNC is really fucking up on multiple levels by not having one Palestinian American speaker. It’s not only the right thing to do but if they want to win the electing, abandoning marginalized people is not the way. The majority of us want this. Take a damn stand. https://t.co/hkNanYkjYV

— Michele Sommerstein (Rebelwheels NYC) ✊❤️♿️🤓 (@RebelWheelsNYC) August 22, 2024

AIPAC lining their pockets

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is a lobbying group with close links to Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister. AIPAC has been the biggest and most influential outside spender during the Democratic elections this year:

Their donors @TrackAIPAC make the rules for them to follow. They have no control or care as long as they’re lining their pockets. https://t.co/FdAMfrFosm

— Hasani Gooding (@GenGod888) August 22, 2024

AIPAC are able to do this through their side hustle, the United Democracy Project (UDP).

The project:

is an organization comprised of American citizens—Democrats, Republicans and Independents—united in the belief that America’s partnership with our democratic ally Israel benefits both countries. United Democracy Project works to help elect candidates that share our vision and will be strong supporters of the U.S.-Israel relationship in Congress.

Previously the project has come under fire as AIPAC didn’t make it clear that it was their project. In 2022 they threw $2.3m into the Democratic primary race for the open congressional seat in Pennsylvania. Critically, they targeted the seat because the leading candidate was ‘overly sympathetic to the Palestinians’.

Clearly, AIPAC have already been very influential in this years presidential race, including at the DNC:

Under strict AIPAC demands, the Democratic National Convention rejected appeals by some of their own delegates and outside protestors to give a few minutes to a Palestinian American pediatrician back from Gaza to describe the horrors of civilian death and destruction and urge a…

— Ralph Nader (@RalphNader) August 22, 2024

AIPAC is literally a lobby group for a terrorist, apartheid state. Yet, not only are they allowed to donate to presidential candidates they are allowed a say in who speaks at the DNC and more importantly, who doesn’t:

AIPAC is a foreign lobby for a terroristic, apartheid nation currently committing genocide and they have purchased and taken over both American political parties. They must be destroyed and the Israeli government must be dismantled. https://t.co/rJqNyEEOjS

— Benjamin (@benjaminfleet) August 23, 2024

The tax records for both AIPAC and UDP organisations show hundreds of donations to various current and potential members of congress and the senate. AIPAC and UDP are literally buying Israel’s power through American politicians.

Harris’ history with Israel

As The Canary reported last week, Kamala Harris’ has a long history with the pro-Israel cause. In total she has taken over $5m from AIPAC

While she may have now publicly called for a ceasefire, she is still accepting money from a genocidal state. She also publicly stated she would ‘ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself.’ Clearly she means, providing Israel with weapons. She has Palestinian blood on her hands. But why would anyone receiving such a huge amount of money speak out against the very people who were financing them? 

The new hope Dems feel was born through LISTENING.

Biden listened to the call to pass the torch.

Harris listened to the call to pick Tim Walz to unite our party.

Now she must listen to this call. Heal our party. Let a Palestinian speak from the DNC stage. https://t.co/Pupv2SI9Dw

— Kai Newkirk (@kai_newkirk) August 22, 2024

Allowing a Palestinian-American to speak at the DNC would be a tremendous opportunity to unify people around defeating Trump and to affirm the humanity of Palestinians. It’s an absolute disgrace that the DNC is refusing to do even the bare minimum with this. https://t.co/1RYUxxX4zG

— Tom Hendrickson (@AgawamTom) August 22, 2024

Do the Democrats really care about marginalised voices?

Do they only care about them when it doesn’t stand in the way of their colonialist agendas?

The DNC has denied Palestinian-Americans the chance to speak.

Meanwhile, Harris took up space with her own take on Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Incidentally, the word genocide didn’t feature once. Nor did she place the blame to the war criminal occupying Palestine. She had strong, decisive words of condemnation for Hamas.

Meanwhile, for Israel’s slaughter of tens of thousands of Palestinians – it was silence. Her speech made it all the more clear how badly the DNC needed to platform a Palestinian voice on its stage. At the same time, it made it all the more obvious precisely why it was never going to do that.

Feature image via Democracy Now!/Youtube