For first time in its history, DNC features panel on Palestinian rights
The Democratic National Convention held its first-ever panel on Palestinian rights on Monday, a historic moment resulting from persistent grassroots organizing against U.S. support for Israel’s assault on the Gaza Strip—a conflict that a majority of Democratic voters view as genocidal.
The panel, announced by the co-founders of the Uncommitted National Movement, marked a significant step towards acknowledging the importance of Palestinian rights within the Democratic Party. The Uncommitted National Movement had earlier urged voters to mark “uncommitted” on their Democratic primary ballots to protest the Biden administration’s support for Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Layla Elabed—sister of U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.)—and Abbas Alawieh, co-founders of the movement, emphasized the panel’s importance, stating, “We will continue to use our platform to echo the majority of Democratic voters who demand an end to the unconditional flow of U.S. weapons that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is using to kill Palestinian families.”
The panel featured prominent voices, including Dr. Tanya Haj-Hassan, a pediatric intensive care surgeon who recently served in Gaza; Hala Hijazi, a Democratic organizer who has lost several family members to Israel’s military actions in Gaza; Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison; and former U.S. Rep. Andy Levin (D-Mich.), a Jewish progressive unseated in the 2022 midterms by an AIPAC-backed candidate.
During the event, Levin urged Vice President Harris to take stronger action on the Israel-Palestine issue. “She can say that, ‘In my administration, we are going to follow U.S. and international law,’” Levin remarked. “We need her to do more, and I have faith in her, but we need her to do more.”
Throughout the week, 30 Uncommitted delegates will engage with Democratic leaders at the DNC, pressing them to unite the party, secure a ceasefire, and save Palestinian lives by ending the supply of arms to Israel. The delegates are part of a growing grassroots movement within the party advocating for a significant shift in U.S. policy toward Israel and Palestine.
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