Kamala Harris missed an opportunity with weak words for Palestine

Harris's 37-minute speech devoted less than 3 minutes to the war in Gaza. AP

For all intents and purposes, the Democratic Party has just concluded a very successful convention in Chicago. After having US President Joe Biden address the convention on the first night in his “swan song” address, the party quickly pivoted to the future, focused on Kamala Harris as its nominee to stand in November’s presidential election. And with America’s continued importance as the world’s leading military and economic superpower, non-Americans without the right to vote around the world tuned in to Ms Harris’s acceptance speech late Thursday night.

Many in the Middle East were tuning in to hear what she would say about Palestine and Israel. In her 37-minute speech, Ms Harris spoke for just under 3 minutes on Gaza. Those hoping to hear a message of hope or a new approach to breaking the cycle of violence and war in Palestine and Israel were disappointed.

Ms Harris began her remarks on Gaza by saying: “President Biden and I are working around the clock because now is the time to get to a hostage deal and ceasefire done.” However, that work has yet to succeed, as the killing escalates and American arms sales to Israel continue.

Ms Harris then went on to repeat the lines spoken by all leading US politicians, declaring a commitment to “Israel’s right to defend itself and I will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself”. This was a clear indication that Ms Harris rejects calls on Washington to limit arms sales to Israel, even as it continues with the brutal manner in which it is prosecuting the war.

And then Ms Harris went on to name “the terrorist organisation Hamas” for being responsible for the “horror” of the October 7 attack, saying the people of Israel must never face such horror again.

She did not, however, make a similar pledge to the Palestinians, who have faced more than 10 months of a deadly war that has killed over 40,000, injured many more and left hundreds of thousands homeless and facing starvation. While Ms Harris acknowledged “what has happened in Gaza over the past 10 months is devastating…so many innocent lives lost…the scale of the suffering is heartbreaking”, she did not say who is responsible for that suffering or why “desperate, hungry people (are) fleeing for safety over and over again”.

The passive voice in referring to the death and destruction visited by the Israeli army upon the Palestinians is emblematic of America’s refusal to blame Israel for Palestinian deaths or for the occupation of Palestinian land. Without holding Israel to account in any manner, it appears that a Harris presidency would be no different from the current administration. She repeated that she and Mr Biden are “working to end this war such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends and the Palestinian people can realise their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination”, without explaining how or committing to holding all those responsible for killing accountable.

Ms Harris’s speech came at the end of a DNC convention that was met with hundreds of protesters demanding that Palestinian Americans or those concerned about developments in Gaza be given the floor – a demand that was flatly rejected by Democratic party leadership. The Uncommitted movement, which threatens the Democratic party in key swing states like Michigan, was active on the sidelines of the convention.

Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, who is chair of the US Progressives movement in Congress was among those calling for the Uncommitted movement to be given a chance to address the DNC. The convention’s celebratory tone, including music from John Legend and Pink, is a far cry from the panels held by doctors who have worked in Gaza giving testimonials just a few rooms down from the convention.

The DNC did give the opportunity to address the convention to Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, the parents of a 23-year-old American Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin. They spoke movingly about the need to get to a deal and release the hostages.

The convention ended, however, without giving any Palestinian American or Arab American a platform to speak from the podium. That absence reflected “more of the same” from the Democrats when it comes to Palestine and the wider region.

From climate activists to defence contractors, people the world over were following Ms Harris’s speech. Ultimately, party conventions are for domestic affairs. But Palestine is today a domestic issue, as Israel has been for decades. And Ms Harris’s promise of being a “president for all Americans” fell short for those Americans who wanted their voice heard on Palestine. On that count, the convention was not as successful as Democrats should have hoped.