Democrats refused to give Palestinian Americans DNC speaking slot

Palestinian Americans have not been granted a speaking slot at the Democratic National Convention despite pleas from pro-Palestinian delegates.

Why it matters: The Biden administration’s handling of the war in Gaza has become a point of contention within the party, prompting some delegates to remain uncommitted to supporting Vice President Harris as the Democratic presidential nominee.

The big picture: Democratic leaders were concerned that a speech inside the United Center addressing the war in Gaza would shake the unity that has been present throughout the event, the Washington Post reported.

• Fox6 News video from inside the venue Thursday evening showed protesters identified as uncommitted voters wearing keffiyehs, a symbol of Palestinian solidarity, linked arm-in-arm, saying: “ceasefire now.”

Catch up quick: Abbas Alawieh, an uncommitted delegate from Michigan and a leader of the Uncommitted National Movement, said in a video that Harris, President Biden and their respective teams are aware of the uncommitted delegates’ request for a Palestinian American speaker at the DNC.

• The Uncommitted National Movement proposed speakers including Georgia state Rep. Ruwa Romman, Illinois state Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid and Dr. Tanya Haj-Hassan, a pediatric care physician who has treated patients in Gaza, per the Washington Post.
• After negotiations with the Democratic Party, they were told “‘no,'” Alawieh said.
• Uncommitted delegates and allies held a sit-in protest outside the convention on Wednesday night.

What they’re saying: “We think that this is the party where we shouldn’t be silencing people’s voices, even when we have disagreements about policy,” Alawieh said.

• Romman said on X on Wednesday she’s had “some pretty crushing days, but to be honest today took the cake.”

The parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an American-Israeli hostage being held in Gaza, were invited to speak at the DNC on Wednesday.

• They called for an immediate ceasefire and hostage deal that would bring their son home and also end the suffering of the Palestinians, to cheers from the crowd and a chant of “bring them home.”

Context: During Biden’s DNC speech, he emphasized his commitment to getting a Gaza hostage and ceasefire agreement.

• Israeli officials, though, said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to budge with his negotiators.

• More than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza.
• Around 1,600 Israelis were killed during and after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, and 109 hostages remain in captivity.

Zoom in: The Muslim Women for Harris-Walz group said it would disband after the declined speaker request.

• “This is a terrible message to send to Democrats,” the group said. “Palestinians have the right to speak about Palestine.”

What we’re watching: The United Auto Workers union, which endorsed Harris in July, called for convention organizers to grant a speaking slot to a Palestinian American.

• “If we want the war in Gaza to end, we can’t put our heads in the sand or ignore the voices of the Palestinian Americans in the Democratic Party,” the union said on X.

The bottom line: “We cannot afford to have this base permanently disillusioned or alienated in November,” the Uncommitted National Movement said on its website.

• Members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus have been pushing to change the party’s platform to account for demands of uncommitted delegates and avoid pushing away young and progressive voters.

Go deeper: DNC lineup: Who’s speaking and what to expect

Editor’s note: This article has been updated with details of the protest from