A left-wing organization called out Vice President Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party during its convention this week while also pulling its support.
The Uncommitted National Movement, which advocates for Palestinians and a cease-fire with Hamas, highlighted on X that a coalition of Muslim women supporting the Harris-Walz ticket has withdrawn its backing.
Although Muslim Women for Harris-Walz is not officially affiliated with the campaign, it had hoped the Democratic team would include a Palestinian speaker at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, where thousands of protesters have gathered.
The group decided to disband after the Democratic Party reportedly denied its request to address the convention.
“We cannot in good conscience, continue Muslim Women for Harris-Walz, in light of this new information from the Uncommitted movement, that VP Harris’ team declined their request to have a Palestinian American speaker take the stage at the DNC,” the group said in a statement posted on the X platform.
“The family of the Israeli Hostage that was on the stage tonight, has shown more empathy toward Palestinian Americans and Palestinians, than our own candidate or the DNC has. This is a terrible message to send to Democrats. Palestinians have the right to speak about Palestine. We pray that the DNC and VP Harris’ team makes (sic) the right decision before this convention is over. For the sake of each of us,” the statement added.
The move is a setback for Harris’s efforts to mend a fraying coalition of progressive Jews and pro-Palestinians within the Democratic Party.
The attack by Hamas on October 7th, which resulted in the deaths of 1,400 Jews and the kidnapping of hundreds, has deepened the rift and intensified debates about when and how to advocate for Palestinians in light of such actions. Israeli counterstrikes, which have caused significant casualties in Gaza, sparked numerous anti-Israel protests earlier this year on college campuses, as well as outside the Democratic National Convention this week.
During the Democratic state primary elections, the Uncommitted movement attracted up to 15% of Democratic voters who opposed nominating President Joe Biden for a second term in several states. This protest vote reflected significant discontent with his ongoing support for arming Israel in its conflict, particularly among younger, more progressive voters.
After a chaotic first day of protests, which included rioters breaching a gate and entering secured areas, the demonstrations remained generally peaceful by the third night. However, their impact has been significant; critics suggest that Pennsylvania Gov. Joshua Shapiro, a devout Jew, was likely removed from consideration as a running mate due to concerns that his inclusion could exacerbate tensions with pro-Palestinian coalitions.
Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump appears to have retaken his lead in polling after an initial surge in support for Harris following President Joe Biden’s decision to end his reelection campaign in July.
Harris has enjoyed a solid month of favorable reporting in most mainstream media outlets — all of which lean to the left on their editorial pages — while Trump’s coverage has been proportionally negative.
According to Axios, previous polling by the Cook Political Report published last week showed Harris leading Trump in Arizona, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Similarly, a New York Times/Siena College poll released last week found Harris with a narrow lead in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.
However, a more recent survey by Navigator Research, published Tuesday, indicates that the race is essentially tied in Arizona, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Individually, Trump leads Harris by one percentage point in Arizona (46% to 45%) and by two points in Pennsylvania (46% to 44%), while the other three states are in a dead heat.
The Navigator survey is consistent with the RealClearPolitics Polling average of battleground states, which also includes Nevada and Georgia.
