As Vice President Kamala Harris marches toward the nomination, the Uncommitted Movement is pushing for commitments on aid to Israel. But some members of the party just want them to stop talking about it.
Zany: Too bad! We won’t stop talking about it until our government stops funding a genocide! Before I continue with this post, I wanted to inquire into how everyone felt about Netanyahu’s address to Congress. Did you notice how the AIPAC-bought Congresspeople stood and clapped after he called American citizens exercising their First Amendment right to protest “idiots?”
I am beyond sick of people protesting the murder and starvation of innocent women and children being called “Pro Hamas” or “Anti-Israel” protesters. It’s done in an effort to mislead the American people into thinking the protesters are the bad guys. For our government to applaud a foreign leader after they’ve criticized Americans is beyond the pale.
The stupid clapping “seals” even gave him a standing ovation after he demanded more money and faster. Every Senator and Representative in attendance who applauded a war criminal with a warrant for war crimes needs to be voted OUT! We never have enough money for the things WE need, but there’s enough to give a foreign country billions— even though the government of Israel had a surplus, while we have a deficit, Israeli citizens have universal healthcare and paid family leave, too! But there just isn’t enough money from American taxpayers to help Americans.
Okay, now I’m getting worked up and going off-topic. That means it’s time to return to the article at hand.
Last night, the Michigan Democratic Party held a call asking delegates to rally around Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s nominee after President Joe Biden stepped out of the race. During the call, two uncommitted delegates—chosen by voters protesting against Biden’s failure to push for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza—said they would not endorse Harris until they knew her policy on aid to Israel. According to a recent Gallup poll, 55 percent of Americans disapprove of Israel’s actions in Gaza, and only 36 percent are supportive.
Delegate Abbas Alawieh, who is an organizer with the Uncommitted Movement, tried to explain his position on last night’s Michigan Democratic Party Zoom call. He says he was told to “shut up, a$$hole”—an incident which he says is symptomatic of anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian racism within the party. Michigan Democratic Party Chair Lavora Barnes said the incident was “unacceptable,” and that “in this moment, we want to reiterate that our Arab American and Muslim brothers and sisters are welcome in this party.”
Alawieh spoke to Mother Jones about what happened.
Read the interview on Mother Jones
Sophie Hurwitz is a Ben Bagdikian editorial fellow covering politics and social movements at Mother Jones. Previously, Sophie covered education and the criminal-legal system for the St. Louis American, and worked as a fact-checker for New York magazine. Reach out to [email protected] or @sophiehurwitz on Twitter.
