A pro-Palestinian group said it would not support Vice President Kamala Harris‘s White House bid if organizers did not platform a Palestinian speaker at last week’s Democratic National Convention. A week later, the group changed its mind.
The group Muslim Women for Harris-Walz rescinded its support for the Democratic presidential ticket last week, saying it could not move forward “in good conscience” after the request for a Palestinian speaker was rejected. During Harris’s nomination acceptance speech at the DNC, she acknowledged Israel’s right to defend itself while also calling for the release of the hostages held by Hamas, a ceasefire, and a right to self-determination for Palestinians.
On Wednesday evening, the group released another statement which it claims is “setting the record straight and moving forward.” The group endorsed Harris, noting the only other person who could realistically win the White House in November is former President Donald Trump.
“With less than 70 days until the November election, we have to be honest with ourselves about what is at stake here for Muslim women: our reproductive rights, access to healthcare, climate change, immigration reform, access to quality public education, economic opportunity, and the clear danger a Trump presidency could pose for our black and brown communities,” the statement reads.
“This is why we urge the Muslim community to vote for Vice President Harris and Governor Walz this November; with the stated caveat that we will continue to both pressure the Biden administration for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, and for real policy change from the Harris-Walz campaign,” the statement continues. “As a result of the November elections, we will either have Kamala Harris or Donald Trump as our next president – and we pray for the sake of all of us here and abroad that it is Kamala Harris.”
The group is still pushing for the Harris campaign to change the U.S. government’s stance on the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, specifically saying it should “make abundantly clear that even our allies are not above international law,” in an apparent reference to the International Criminal Court seeking the arrest of Israeli leaders. The United States is not a member of the ICC, and officials have said the court does not have jurisdiction to pursue such action.
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Pro-Palestinian voters have been a key voting bloc Democrats have tried to keep in their camp, even as they have expressed anger over the Biden administration’s handling of the war on Gaza.
Some pro-Palestinian groups protested the DNC last week, hoping to cause a scene, but the protests were less impactful than many predicted.