DNC hosts first ever panel on Palestinian human rights - “Uncommitted” movement co-founders Layla Elabed and Abbas Alawieh called the panel discussion “an important step.”
“I was asked to be here to provide moral witness to the delegates of the Democratic National Convention, the civilian casualties that I myself witnessed while I was there, the entire families that were exterminated, health care workers, humanitarian workers, that have been killed in unprecedented numbers, child amputees, record numbers of child amputees, all the children who had survived and arrived injured at the hospital with no surviving family,” Haj-Hassan told WDET. “I myself treated several children who would fall into that category. And for these children, they would often die in our arms in the emergency department without any family around to comfort them, because their family were killed in the same attack, and without anybody to bury them once they were dead…it was honestly, completely, utterly devastating.
“So we feel like the only way to protect and preserve human life is to put political pressure at this point. The unconditional ongoing funding of the U.S. for this military campaign, it starkly contrasts with the documented realities on the ground, with the findings by the International Court of Justice — a plausible genocide — and with universal global condemnation from every human rights and humanitarian organization, saying ‘This has to stop.'”
Wallz and Harris have both spoken at AIPAC conferences, but it's been years since for both of them.
Even if they're "pro Israel" theres no chance they're as unquestioningly as supportive as Biden.
And Wall has shown that he's open to different viewpoints and modified his stance on the genocide long before being picked as VP.
Definitely still need to keep pressure up. But I'm cautiously optimistic
Based on the past couple of months and internal reporting I really don't think either Harris or Biden like Netanyahu at all. I just think Biden and the Democrats overall have for so long been conditioned to protect Israel lest their high ground on right-wing extremism and antisemitism backfire and they lose Jewish-American votes or others sympathetic to Israel; so from a campaign perspective it can be perceived as zero-sum at best or worse a net-loss.
Then there's the power of AIPAC, who are almost solely responsible for both Jamaal Bowman and Cori Bush losing their primaries because of their outspokenness on Gaza.
So I fully expect a Harris administration post-election will be far more cold to Netanyahu and take more decisive action, but not before. Which doesn't change much for me, considering in this dichotomous choice we all know Trump is far worse for the outcome of Palestinians.
There is one notable member of the squad absent at the convention, Rashida Tlaib. While Ilhan Omaar and AOC have endorsed Harris, she — the first and only Palestinian American in Congress — has yet to endorse. I do think it would be useful for Harris to meet directly with her.
Nevertheless I've been saying to my fellow advocates for Palestinians: The key to influencing administrative policy is side-stepping the administration and convincing your friends, family, acquaintances, and those on social media who are still sympathetic to Israel and who are ignorant to the atrocities they have committed. If you shift the polls, you will shift the administration who will perceive less risk in cutting aid to Israel. Even then from the administration's perspective, there is still significant risk because Netanyahu could just so happen to ignore intelligence on an impending attack on Israeli soil and if another October 7th-like attack happens following a withdrawal of aid to Israel from the US, then that is going to look very bad and sink the Democrats. Don't put it past Bibi to commit a false flag. That fucker is evil.
AIPAC is bad. But being from Missouri. Bush was always a weak candidate. My understanding is that Bowman was in a similar position? Bush in particular was swept in based largely around contemporary events that have since cooled. She doesn't have a big history of civil service to build support from etc. She has some fairly signature legislation that she's been involved with related to her community and district. But voters are ignorant, fickle, and more concerned with other things currently.
Harris is in an awkward position where even if she disagrees vehemently with the Biden administration's policies, she can't really do or say anything about it because she's still a part of that administration. Undermining her boss right now would only cause a backlash from all directions that would be far more damaging than simply sitting on it until after the election.
A President Elect Harris will have far more leeway to steer policy on such a delicate issue than a Vice President Harris ever could.
Did any of the main news channels in the US even cover this panel? I haven't seen any.
The media and online punditry seem far more happy to obsess over a few Hamas-flag-waving protesters outside than to listen to experienced doctors relay the horrors they saw in Gaza. What a shocker.
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