For first time in its history, DNC will feature panel on Palestinian rights

The opening day of the Democratic National Convention on Monday will feature its first-ever panel on Palestinian rights, a result of persistent grassroots organizing against U.S. support for Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip—a war that a majority of Democratic voters believe is genocidal.

The co-founders of the Uncommitted National Movement—which urged voters to mark "uncommitted" on their Democratic primary ballots earlier this year to protest the Biden administration's support for Israel's bombardment of Gaza—announced the panel in a statement on Monday, calling it an "important step toward recognizing the rightful place of human rights advocates for Palestinian rights within the Democratic Party."

"With this panel and throughout our engagement at the DNC, we will use our platform to communicate the cries of the majority of Democratic voters who want an end to the unconditional flow of U.S. weapons that [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu is using to kill Palestinian families," said Layla Elabed—the sister of U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.)—and Abbas Alawieh.

"We thank DNC leadership for working with us on this historic panel, and we remain hopeful that they and the Harris campaign will honor our request for Dr. Tanya Haj-Hassan and a Palestinian-American to be granted speaking time from the convention stage," they continued. "Our focus remains on policy change. Vice President Harris has an opportunity to unite the party against [Republican nominee Donald] Trump this week by turning the page toward a human rights policy that saves lives and helps us re-engage key voters for whom Gaza is a top issue."

"We will keep pushing for our party's leadership to break away from its current financing of Israel's horrific assault on Gaza and military rule over Palestinians," Elabed and Alawieh added.

The last time the DNC featured discussion of Palestinian rights was in 1988, during a policy debate that included Arab American Institute founder James Zogby, who will take part in Monday's six-member "Democrats for Palestinian Rights" panel.

"What's happening today is that it's not a candidate-led effort, it's a people-led effort," Zogby said in an MSNBC appearance on Sunday, contrasting the current Palestinian rights push with the 1988 effort spearheaded by Jesse Jackson.

Palestinian rights advocates "have elected their own delegates," Zogby noted, referring to the dozens of "uncommitted" delegates who will be in attendance at the Democratic convention in Chicago, where tens of thousands of demonstrators are expected to rally in the streets in opposition to the Biden administration's ongoing military support for Israel.

"They're not Jackson delegates, they're uncommitted delegates. They're not Bernie delegates, they're uncommitted," Zogby continued. "I think Kamala Harris has to read the room."

In recent weeks, Palestinian rights advocates have been pressuring Harris, the Democratic nominee, to substantively break with the Biden administration on Gaza by endorsing an arms embargo against Israel—a position backed by a majority of American voters.

Harris has expressed an openness to dialogue with Palestinian rights advocates but has yet to accept their concrete demands.

Monday's panel will also feature Haj-Hassan, a pediatric intensive care surgeon who recently served in Gaza; Hala Hijazi, a Democratic organizer who has had several family members killed in Gaza by Israel's military; Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison; and former U.S. Rep. Andy Levin (D-Mich.), a Jewish progressive who was unseated in the 2022 midterms by an AIPAC-backed candidate.

On top of the efforts of panel participants, "uncommitted" delegates, and outside demonstrators, a roughly 60-member group called "Delegates Against Genocide" plans to "exercise its freedom of speech rights during main events" at the four-day convention, Reutersreported Sunday.

The delegate group is urging a "no" vote on the Democratic Party's 2024 platform over its "failure to demand a permanent and sustainable cease-fire in Gaza enforced by a U.S. arms embargo on Israel." The proposed platform expresses support for an immediate and "durable" cease-fire agreement and voices opposition to the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements.

"We must take a stand for justice, both domestically and internationally," Nadia Ahmad, a DNC delegate from Florida, said in a statement. "A 'no' vote on the platform sends a clear message that we, as Democrats, will not support policies that enable genocide, war crimes, and human rights abuses."