Harris-Walz campaign faces serious fallout after shutting out Palestinian speaker at DNC

Chicago, Illinois - Several dozen delegates staged a sit-in Wednesday night after learning that Kamala Harris' team had denied a request to allow a Palestinian American to speak on the stage of the 2024 Democratic National Convention.

Uncommitted delegate Meryem Maameri of Minnesota wears a keffiyeh as she attends Day 3 of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
Uncommitted delegate Meryem Maameri of Minnesota wears a keffiyeh as she attends Day 3 of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.  © REUTERS

"Uncommitted delegates urge the Democratic Party to reject a hierarchy of human value by ensuring Palestinian voices are heard on the main stage. We are learning that Israeli hostages’ families will be speaking from the main stage. We strongly support that decision and also strongly hope that we will also be hearing from Palestinians who’ve endured the largest civilian death toll since 1948," the Uncommitted National Movement said in a statement.

Uncommitted emerged during the Democratic primaries in Michigan as a protest vote against the Biden-Harris administration's funding of Israel's war on Gaza. The movement quickly spread around the country and even got enough votes in some states to send delegates to the DNC.

The DNC offered the ceasefire delegate coalition a panel event on the sidelines of the convention and a meeting with four staffers, but has denied them a spot on the United Center's main stage.

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Meanwhile, the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli American taken hostage on October 7, were invited to address the convention on Wednesday.

"Excluding a Palestinian speaker betrays the party’s commitment in our platform to valuing Israelis and Palestinian lives equally," the Uncommitted statement read. "The difficulty in approving even a single Palestinian American speaker among the dozens of speakers on the convention stage sends a troubling message to our anti-war voters, suggesting they aren’t truly included in this party."

"The pain and loss of an Israeli or a Palestinian are no different, but there is an added sting in our communities when we know that it is our tax dollars funding the killing of our loved ones."

Muslim Women for Harris-Walz disbands

Baraa Hadi Abu Alroos, a 7-year-old who was injured in Rafah and lost his father and grandfather, attends a Gaza solidarity protest on the sidelines of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois.
Baraa Hadi Abu Alroos, a 7-year-old who was injured in Rafah and lost his father and grandfather, attends a Gaza solidarity protest on the sidelines of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois.  © REUTERS

The Biden-Harris administration just last week approved another $20-billion agreement for the transfer of more deadly weapons and military equipment to Israel.

The White House's continued support for Israel has brought thousands of supporters of Palestinian liberation to the streets of Chicago, where they have been protesting non-stop since the start of the convention. They have urged Harris to endorse an arms embargo on Israel – a move her top aides say she does not support.

The Harris-Walz campaign and DNC's latest attempt to silence Palestinian voices has alienated even more Muslim and Arab-American voters and allies in the midst of a tight election battle against Republican Donald Trump.

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"We cannot in good conscience, continue Muslim Women for Harris-Walz, in light of this new information from the Uncommitted movement, that VP Harris' team declined their request to have a Palestinian American speaker take the stage at the DNC," the group shared on social media.

"This is a terrible message to send to Democrats. Palestinians have the right to speak about Palestine."

Uncommitted organizers have said they are not accepting the DNC's "no" as a final answer.

Muslim Women for Harris-Walz said, "We pray that the DNC and VP Harris' team makes the right decision before the convention is over. For the sake of each of us."

Israel has slaughtered over 40,000 people in Gaza since October, according to the besieged territory's health ministry. At least 635 Palestinians in the illegally occupied West Bank have died at the hands of Israeli military and settlers in that same period.

Cover photo: Screenshot/X/@IfNotNowOrg

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