Palestine didn't get much attention at the DNC but there were victories nonetheless

Pro Palestinian protesters, on the eve of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. EPA

The 2024 Democratic National Convention was an exhausting rollercoaster 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 Palestine-Israel 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 centre from Monday to Thursday, and in the days that followed. They were small 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 Keith Ellison and myself. It featured compelling testimonies.

Dr Tanya Haj-Hassan 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, protested the administration’s complicity in the war. There were strong speeches from former Congressman Andy Levin, who lost his re-election 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 more than 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 fewer than 100 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 is 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.

This campaign decision was an unforced error. It was deeply hurtful to Palestinian Americans who felt their humanity wasn’t being recognised. 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 recognise – that the issue of Palestine and the effort to silence our voices would once again be elevated to the centre of discussion. Over the next 24 hours, there were several news conferences and campaigners 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 organisations (including Jewish groups), black and Hispanic leaders, two prominent Jewish newspapers, and even the Israeli-American family who had spoken at the convention.

Reviewing the convention itself, it was moving to see hundreds of delegates, including hundreds of Harris supporters, wearing keffiyehs or “Democrats for Palestine” buttons, including Ms 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, Ms 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 recognise 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 Jesse 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 from 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: “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 mobilised to pass ceasefire resolutions in more than 350 cities and won the support of major unions, black, Latino and Asian organisations.

It is responsible for demonstrations rallying millions of Americans and camps on more than 100 college campuses, and attracting over 750,000 votes in Democratic primaries. Polls show that most Democrats want a ceasefire, conditions attached to arms sent to Israel, and securing rights for Palestinians.

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