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PALESTINE WON AT THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION  
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James J. Zogby
August 26, 2024
Arab American Institute
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_ The DNC was a messy affair, with highs and lows, some small
victories and some setbacks. It’s imperative to recognize the
victories won and continue to engage with allies in the political
process because change will come—only if this work continues. _

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The 2024 Democratic National Convention was an exhausting roller
coaster ride for Arab Americans and supporters of Palestinian rights.
 It was a messy affair, with highs and lows, some small victories
and some setbacks. But on balance, the naysayers are wrong, because
Palestine and supporters of Palestinian rights were big winners during
the four days in Chicago. 

We didn’t get language on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict changed
in the party platform, nor did we get a Palestinian American speaker
in prime time from the convention’s main stage. But the issue of
Palestine was front and center from Monday through Thursday, and in
the days that followed. They were little wins, to be sure, but they
were victories, nonetheless. 
 
On Monday, the convention agreed to host a panel on Palestinian
suffering at an official site. It was co-chaired by Minnesota Attorney
General (former Congressman) Keith Ellison and myself. It featured the
compelling testimonies of: Dr. Tanya Haj-Hassan who told harrowing
stories of children and medical workers who were victims of the
genocidal war on Gaza; Layla Elabed, a Palestinian American leader of
the national Uncommitted Movement that garnered 750,000 voters,
protesting the administration’s complicity in the war; former
Congressman Andy Levin, who lost his reelection due to AIPAC spending
millions to defeat him; and Hala Hijazi, a Palestinian American
Democratic Party fundraiser who had lost scores of family members in
Gaza. 
 
There had been over 30 of these official side panels hosted by the
campaign. Most had been sparsely attended by delegates and party
members; for example, the one on the war in Ukraine had less than one
hundred participants. This session on Palestine had well over 300
attendees, with most deeply moved by what they heard. There were many
tears shed as well as a number of standing ovations in support of the
speakers and issues raised. 
 
It was understood that securing the official sponsorship for the panel
wasn’t the victory we sought. Our goal remains a change in US
policy. But recognition of Palestinian suffering and Israel and the
US’s responsibility for producing this genocidal war was important
and could not be dismissed. 
 
News that an Israeli American family would take the convention’s
main stage to tell about their son who was a Hamas-held hostage upped
the ante and led us to insist that a Palestinian American also be
invited to tell the story of their family in Gaza. Days of
negotiations followed. When the decision was made to not extend an
invitation, Abbas Alawieh, another of the leaders of the National
Uncommitted Movement, led a protest walkout from the arena and a
sit-in in front of the convention.

I called this campaign decision a “bone-headed, unforced error.”
It was deeply hurtful to Palestinian Americans who felt their humanity
wasn’t being recognized. It threatened to erase the positives gained
by the campaign’s recognition of our panel, leaving supporters of
Palestinian rights with a sour taste in their mouths. But it also
meant—and this is important to recognize—that the issue of
Palestine and the effort to silence our voices would once again be
elevated to the center of discussion. Over the next 24 hours, we held
multiple press conferences and spoke one-on-one with dozens of
journalists ensuring that the issue of Palestinian rights would
continue to be discussed—and it was. Endorsements for having a
Palestinian American speaker came from members of Congress, national
organizations (including Jewish groups), Black and Hispanic leaders,
two prominent Jewish newspapers, and even the Israeli American family
that had spoken at the convention. 

Reviewing the convention itself, it was moving to see hundreds of
delegates, including hundreds of Harris supporters, wearing kaffiyehs
or “Democrats for Palestine” buttons, including Vice President
Harris’s niece. It was also important to note that when Palestine
was mentioned by speakers, it was greeted by rousing applause. And
while in her speech Vice President Harris included the usual
commitments to Israel’s security, her words about Palestinian
suffering were passionate and punctuated by her commitment to their
“freedom, security, dignity, and self-determination.” That’s
more than any other presidential nominee has ever said. And so,
despite the hurt, the entire saga represented a win—one we must
recognize and embrace, and on which we must now build. 

Thirty-six years ago, I was the last Arab American to speak about
Palestinian rights at a national party convention when, in 1988, I
presented the Jackson campaign’s minority plank on Palestinian
rights from the podium in Atlanta. I knew it was a historic moment and
in the days that followed I experienced the backlash from pro-Israel
forces within the party. They pressured me to resign my post as a
member of the Democratic National Committee. It was then that Rev.
Jackson taught me two important lessons I’ve not forgotten. 

The first was that “When you win a victory, embrace it but never
turn your back, because the knives will be out to get you.”  The
other was, “Never quit, because that’s exactly what your enemies
want you to do. What they fear most is that you’ll stick around to
fight.”   

These lessons apply today, with a difference. In 1988, we were able to
raise the issue because it was a powerful Jackson-led movement.
Today’s movement for justice for Palestinians isn’t riding on the
back of a leader. It is a people-powered movement, from the bottom up.
This effort has mobilized to pass ceasefire resolutions in over 350
cities and won the support of major unions, Black, Latino, and Asian
organizations. It is responsible for demonstrations mobilizing
millions of Americans, encampments on over 100 college campuses, and
garnering over 750,000 votes in Democratic primaries across the US.
Polls show that the majority of Democrats want a ceasefire,
conditioning arms to Israel, and securing rights for Palestinians. 

Now isn’t the time to withdraw in defeatist anger. Instead, it’s
imperative to recognize the victories won and continue to engage with
allies in the political process, because change will come—but only
if this work continues.

_Dr. James J. Zogby is President of the Arab American Institute _

_Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are
those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the
Arab American Institute. The Arab American Institute is a non-profit,
nonpartisan national leadership organization that does not endorse
candidates._

_Note: To discuss this column with me, please register here
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for my next ‘Coffee And A Column’ event Wednesday via Zoom._

* Democratic Party
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* elections
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* Gaza
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* Uncommitted Movement
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