The Democrats working inside the party to persuade Kamala Harris to stop weapons for Israel

By Brad Ryan in Chicago, ABC

While America's Democratic diehards enjoyed pep talks and pop music at their party-vibes convention this week, a smaller panel event on the sidelines was striking a very different tone.

The first speaker, Hala Hijazi, was in tears before she'd even finished introducing herself to the room.

"I'm here because I've had over 100 of my family killed in Gaza," Hijazi said.

"Just two last week."

For years, Hijazi has served the Democratic Party and its causes in San Francisco: fundraising, doorknocking for candidates, and serving on the board of a group that trains Democratic women to run for office.

But for all her public service, she said, she felt she'd let her family in Gaza down.

"I feel guilty because for 25 years I've been living my American dream while they've been under occupation, struggling and dying," she said.

"I'm a fraud for not speaking up for them for the past 25 years. But that has changed."

Hijazi is part of a growing Democratic movement pressuring the party, from within, to rein in military support for Israel. But it's up against some powerful forces that want to maintain the status quo.

"Dark money" is a big one, Jewish ex-congressman Andy Levin told the panel event.

Pro-Israel lobby group AIPAC spent millions to help another Democrat unseat Levin in 2022, after he spoke out on Palestinian rights.

It recently did the same thing to two other outspoken Democrats in Congress. (AIPAC says the success of the candidates it backs shows it is "good politics and good policy to stand with the Jewish state".)

But Levin is optimistic about the party's new presidential candidate. He points to her impassioned calls for a ceasefire back in March, and her meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington last month.

"She refused to go to his absurd speech to a joint session of Congress," Levin said. "Then when she met with him, she did speak some truth to power to him. I don't think that's that easy."

Hijazi has hope too. As a longtime Democratic organiser in Harris's home state of California, she's known the vice-president for more than 25 years.

"She's trying," Hijazi told the panel. "We have to hold her accountable too, but we also have to give her a chance."

First 'Genocide Joe', now 'Killer Kamala'

As the panel was taking place in a packed conference room, pro-Palestinian protesters were gathering in a park closer to the convention arena. "Genocide Joe" has long been a popular chant at these protests. This time, the catchcry was "Killer Kamala".

The US gives Israel several billions of dollars' worth of military support each year, and President Joe Biden ticked off on a $US14.1 billion boost in April.

Protesters who spoke to the ABC had little faith in Harris adopting any different stance to Biden, if she were elected president in November.

"Her political career, if you trace it, she has received heavy backing from many of the same Zionist donors who are backing Joe Biden," said Nima Homami, who had travelled from Ohio for the protest.

"I don't know, honestly, if the Democrats will ever listen. It feels like there's just too much money involved."

But inside the Democratic Party tent, the lobbying efforts persist.

Most of the delegates attending the convention on behalf of their state parties were there to support Harris.

But about 30 were there to represent Democrats who voted "uncommitted" when asked to choose the party's presidential candidate in primary elections this year.

"We saw 101,000 'uncommitted' voters in Michigan," said Jonathan Simonds, an uncommitted delegate from Hawaii.

"We saw almost 800,000 uncommitted voters across the country in the primary, and those are Democrats.

"I think that some of them will vote for Harris either way, and wanted to make a statement.

"But I think that there's a certain proportion of those voters who will maybe not vote for Trump, but won't feel inspired enough to go to the polls for Harris."

The phone call that angered uncommitted delegates

The Uncommitted National Movement's main demand is for an arms embargo, and they point to a series of polls showing declining support among Democrats for American military aid to Israel.

In a YouGov/Economist poll this month, 49 percent of likely Harris voters were in favour of America reducing military aid to Israel, compared to 29 percent who wanted it maintained, and 8 percent who favoured an increase.

The movement also requested a speaking spot at the convention for a Palestinian American. They provided the DNC with a shortlist of elected Democrats to choose from.

"The DNC kept telling us that they would get back to us, and they were working on it, and to be patient," Asma Mohammed, an uncommitted delegate from Minnesota, told the ABC.

"And finally, [Wednesday] at 8pm they told us the answer was no."

Some uncommitted delegates responded by staging a 24-hour sit-in next to the convention arena, sleeping on the concrete outside the stadium.

One of the speakers on the shortlist was Georgia state Democrat Ruwa Romman, who prepared a speech about her family's Palestinian roots and their recent pain, but did not directly criticise the Biden administration.

"Let's commit to each other, to electing Vice-President Harris and defeating Donald Trump, who uses my identity as a Palestinian as a slur," she said in the speech, which she delivered at a press conference outside the stadium instead.

A 'boneheaded mistake'

When Harris campaign spokesman Michael Tyler was asked why the movement's request for a speaker was rejected, he did not directly answer. But he said: "We're proud and glad they're here. We've worked to engage them throughout the convention. We're proud of the fact that we held panel conversations with members."

James Zogby, the founder of the Arab America Institute and a former member of the Democratic National Committee's executive, said the decision "was an unforced error, it was stupid, and it will cost support".

"The idea of not having a Palestinian speaker was the most boneheaded mistake I've seen in politics in a long time," said Zogby, a longtime supporter of Palestinian rights. "There are many votes that they may lose because they didn't have one."

But Harris faces the reverse pressure from inside the party, too. Some Democrats want to see more support for Israel from the party's leadership.

"They've handled it OK - not as strong as I would like," said Richard Levik, a volunteer at the convention who also attended a small pro-Israel rally outside.

"If [the 7 October attack] happened to us, we'd be doing more than what Israel has done. And we support them in fighting a war that Hamas started."

Last month, Netanyahu told Congress that more American weapons could help end the war. "Give us the tools faster, and we'll finish the job faster," he said.

The Israel-Gaza war is not a top priority issue for most American voters, polls have consistently shown.

But experts say it could prove critical in Michigan, partly because of its large Arab American and Muslim population. And that state could in turn prove critical to the election result.

"The major element of a rapprochement between Harris-Walz and the Arab Americans in Michigan would be, at a minimum, to have a ceasefire," said Michael Traugott, a political scientist at the University of Michigan.

"That would probably affect two or three or four percentage points of the vote in Michigan, but that could make a difference in the actual outcome."

What's next for the uncommitted?

On the final night of the convention, the uncommitted delegates ended their sit-in and walked into the arena, with their arms locked, in time to hear Harris's speech.

They did not expect to hear support for an arms embargo. But some in the movement were hoping, as a minimum, Harris would use her convention speech to commit to following American and international law regarding weapons provisions.

Her remarks fell short of what they had hoped for.

Kamala Harris reiterated calls for a ceasefire deal at the convention.

"I will always stand up for Israel's right to defend itself, and I will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself, because the people of Israel must never again face the horror that a terrorist organisation called Hamas caused on October 7," she said.

As some shouts of "free Palestine" were heard in the crowd, Harris went on to describe the scale of suffering in Gaza as "devastating" and "heartbreaking".

"President Biden and I 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."

Read more:

• Gaza negotiations between Israel and Hamas resume in Cairo as suffering worsens
• Gaza: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives in Israel for ceasefire talks

The uncommitted movement is now demanding Harris meet with their leaders, and impacted Palestinian families, by 15 September. They have not spelled out what they will do if she refuses.

"We're not going anywhere," said uncommitted delegate Jeremiah Ellison, who serves on the Minneapolis City Council.

"We're not going to accept rejection. We're long-time party activists. We're long-time community organisers. We know how to mobilise."

- ABC