The Democratic National Convention: A Thundering Celebration of Joy With a Gaza-Sized Asterisk

The Democratic National Convention was this week and many Democrats are fired up. Each eight-hour night featured speakers that electrified the crowd. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, in particular, had a barnstorming speech endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris and going at Donald Trump directly, calling him a fraud.

“We know that Donald Trump would sell this country for a dollar if it meant lining his own pockets and greasing the palms of his Wall Street friends,” she declared. “I, for one, am tired of hearing how a two-bit union buster thinks of himself as more of a patriot than the woman who fights every single day to lift working people out form under the boots of greed trampling on our way of life.”

VP pick and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's speech added a touching moment to the proceedings when his neurodivergent son stood up and proudly–tearfully– declared, "That's my dad!"

For her part, Harris capitalized on the excitement, releasing a series of bold policy proposals like assistance to first-time home-buyers.

But not everything is going as smoothly as Democrats would have liked. Unlike past conventions, the 2024 gathering featured no transgender speakers. But by far the biggest source of controversy involved Israel's war in Gaza, which a growing number of experts and observers believe constitutes a genocide. To date, more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed according to official numbers with estimates ranging significantly higher. Most of the population has been displaced multiple times and food insecurity and lack of medicine are rampant.

Celebrating at the DNC in a Time of Genocide

Joy was everywhere—as long as you didn’t think about Gaza.

The NationAdam Johnson

There were pro-Palestinian rights protests inside and outside of the convention center, including during President Joe Biden's speech. The demonstrators were seeking a firmer position from Harris on the issue of arms sales to Israel, which have continued without conditions under Biden's leadership–even as his own administration has warned that the Israeli government is using them to violate both international and American law.

The U.S.-Led Ceasefire Talks Are Just Buying More Time for Israel’s Genocide

Biden, Harris, and Blinken are able to continue to posture as brokers of peace while sending billions of dollars in weapons to Netanyahu’s soldiers.

The InterceptSunjeev Bery

Tensions came to a head on Wednesday when the party denied a request from the so-called Uncommitted Movement, which had sought to pressure President Biden into cutting off weapons to Israel by voting uncommitted during the primary, to feature a Palestinian speaker whose remarks would be pro-Harris and vetted ahead of time.

DNC Faces Uproar From Its Own Party After Denying Palestinian Speaker

The Democratic National Convention is facing blowback after rejecting the Uncommitted movement’s request for a Palestinian speaker.

The New RepublicHafiz Rashid

Everyone At The DNC Speaks For Palestine, Except For Palestinians | Defector

In her closing speech Thursday night, Harris included a throwaway line about how she and Biden were working so that “the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom, and self-determination.” The Palestinian people were already pursuing those rights; the U.S. has been act…

Defector homeSamer Kalaf

Planned remarks from Georgia State Rep. Ruwa Romman, a Palestinian American Democrat and Uncommitted activist, were subsequently published by Mother Jones. They included a call to unite behind Harris against Donald Trump, but also acknowledged massacres in Gaza.

In response to the snub, a group Muslim Women for Harris/Walz announced it was disbanding. Meanwhile, a group of uncommitted delegates staged a sit-in protest in to get the decision reversed, but were unsuccessful. The delegates then released new demand: a meeting with Harris by September 15.

Frustrated uncommitted delegates push for Palestinian American speaker as DNC nears end • Georgia Recorder

Uncommitted delegates said they will continue their sit-in protest to advocate for a Palestinian American speaker at the DNC.

Georgia RecorderAriana Figueroa

While the convention did not give speaking time to any Palestinian voices, it did feature the parents of one of the hostages currently held by Hamas; it featured Republicans; it featured other diverse groups as well.

In her historic acceptance speech, Harris sought to the thread the needle between the two camps, assuring Democrats that she and Biden were working to bring about a hostage deal and a ceasefire, even as the administration shipped new miliary weapons to the country. Harris reaffirmed her commitment to Israel's security and ability "to defend itself," but she also broke new ground for a Democratic nominee, expressing support for Palestinian self-determination and acknowledging their suffering–albeit using passive voice.

Kamala Harris Mentioned Palestinian Suffering — in the Passive Voice

Akela Lacy and Ali Gharib debrief the 2024 Democratic National Convention, from Democrats’ support for Israel’s war on Gaza to Kamala Harris’s speech.

The InterceptAkela Lacy, Ali Gharib

Some attendees were filmed leaving the convention center mocking pro-Palestine demonstrators and covering their ears as they walked by. Meanwhile, Biden brought on Mira Resnick for a top role at the State Department overseeing Israel-Palestinian affairs. Resnick has previously overseen arms sales to Israel and has a staunchly pro-Israel past, including working as a student organizer with groups like AIPAC.

The tension undercut the excitement of the otherwise successful convention and served as a stark reminder that the Gaza issue is not going away. With the margins tight in states like Michigan with its significant Arab population, the issue could hurt Harris's campaign as well–just as it did Joe Biden before her.

The Democrats Are Running Scared From the Most Important Fights

At its convention this week, the party largely avoided two crises that are the cause of mass suffering: climate change and Israel’s war in Gaza.

The New RepublicKate Aronoff

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