Notably absent from Walz’s speech was any real substance on foreign policy — including discussion of the genocide happening against Palestinians in Gaza, which uncommitted delegates and their allies have been trying to discuss for days at DNC. Indeed, most of the night, if not the week, has ignored the issue, and where it has been mentioned, Israel’s role in the genocide has been glossed over.

Uncommitted delegates in support of Palestinian liberation and an end to the genocide have requested that the DNC allow a Palestinian speaker take the podium in the United Center, to discuss a permanent ceasefire and an embargo for weapons from the U.S. to Israel, which the U.S. is legally obligated to do.

“We are learning that Israeli hostages’ families will be speaking from the main stage. We strongly support that decision and also strongly hope that we will also be hearing from Palestinians who’ve endured the largest civilian death toll since 1948,” read a statement from the Uncommitted National Movement account on X. “Excluding a Palestinian speaker betrays the party’s commitment in our platform to valuing Israelis and Palestinian lives equally. Vice President Harris must unite this party with a vision that fights for everyone, including Palestinians.”

A group of uncommitted delegates, joined by interfaith leaders and their allies, staged a sit-in just outside the convention hall on Wednesday night, saying they wouldn’t remove themselves from that spot until their demands for a Palestinian speaker were met.

  • SulaymanF@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    It IS important enough as Harris needs to win back the 13% uncommitted vote that couldn’t bring themselves to vote for Biden. If she wants to win in November she has to get them back and then some.

    • ngwoo@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      That cohort had Biden’s age and competency as their top reasons for not voting for him, not Gaza.

      • SulaymanF@lemmy.world
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        4 months ago

        Citation needed. 13% of Democratic Michigan voters included a high percentage of Arab-Americans and Muslim-Americans and young voters who all cited Gaza as their reason for voting uncommitted, including calls by Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib. There’s no denying Gaza played a big role in the spike in uncommitted votes.

          • SulaymanF@lemmy.world
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            4 months ago

            That’s an opinion piece. And it’s undermined by what the author concedes is a shift in votes between 2020 and 2024.

            More than 80 percent of young people disapprove of the way Biden is handling the war, according to a recent CNN survey—the most of any cohort. And poll after poll shows Biden losing support among 20-somethings, the group that helped propel him to victory four years ago. In 2020, Biden won the 18-to-29-year-old vote by 24 percentage points. This time around, some polls suggest that the demographic is a toss-up between him and Donald Trump.

            • FlowVoid@lemmy.world
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              4 months ago

              Those same young people also disapproved of Biden last summer, when basically nobody cared about Gaza. That’s why Gaza is not the cause of his political problems.

    • FlowVoid@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      She is already leading in the polls. The only thing she has to do is keep doing what she is already doing.

      • SulaymanF@lemmy.world
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        4 months ago

        Nationwide polls, not among the previously uncommitted vote. Downplay it all you like. She has to actually stake some policies out on Palestine. And you’re not helping; if I vote for Harris it will be in spite of you and your bad arguments and concern trolling.

        • FlowVoid@lemmy.world
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          4 months ago

          Nationwide and statewide. She leads in a majority of swing states.

          And you win the election by winning swing states, not necessarily the previously uncommitted.