Palestine shouldn’t have been snubbed at the DNC

After four days of speeches, gatherings and caucuses, one issue at the 2024 Democratic National Convention remained largely unexplored by Vice President Kamala Harris: the ongoing war in Gaza. There were protests both inside and outside the convention center, but Harris only briefly touched on the war. In her speech Thursday, Harris emphasized her commitment to ensuring Israel’s safety while bargaining for the release of the remaining hostages and ending the Israeli military’s assault on Gaza, which has left Palestinian civilians in apocalyptic conditions. 

The pro-Palestine constituency of the Democratic party remains significant and outspoken, and it was an electoral mistake to continue to snub such a significant issue. If Harris hopes to be the next president, then she must solidify her foreign policy stance in regard to Israel. A shift in policy is essential to helping secure the youth vote, differentiating herself from her predecessors and, most importantly, halting the continued catastrophic loss of life in Gaza. 

No matter how exactly Harris could secure a ceasefire, the urgency of reshaping her message has never been clearer. After 11 months of incessant fighting in Gaza, more than 40,000 Palestinians are dead at the hands of the Israeli offensive with thousands more most likely dead underneath the rubble. The war has displaced 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million inhabitants, and the entire population is at high risk of an impending famine. 

The Israeli campaign to eliminate Hamas is among the most destructive in recent history, but Israel has yet to secure the remaining 97 hostages kept in deplorable conditions or eliminate Hamas’ leader, Yahya Sinwar. While a U.S.-led ceasefire deal may be the only remaining option to strip Hamas of its power and prevent further loss of life, President Joe Biden and his administration has failed to secure it. 

Furthermore, opposition towards Israeli policy and our government’s unequivocal support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s highly flawed administration is becoming increasingly mainstream among Democrats. Most of the protests at the DNC focused on Palestinian suffering and the continued shipping of U.S.-made weapons to bolster the Israeli war effort. Harris has good reason to adopt policies that are tougher on Israel; polls show that a stricter arms embargo would improve Harris’ margin for winning the president in a three-way race. 

Despite signs that a shift would benefit her campaign, Harris has remained reluctant to act with the more humanitarian stance she frequently took prior to taking the reins from Biden. In denying a Palestinian American speaker from speaking at the convention, Harris missed a huge opportunity. 

Such a shift is also necessary due to Harris’ positioning as Biden’s vice president, which her Republican opponents have unendingly used to attack her. During her campaign, Harris has mostly relied on Biden-era policy stances and defenses of the administration’s record as a means to flex her political muscles. 

While many of the president’s policies were by no means unsuccessful, holding ranks on Biden’s foreign policy failures plays right into former President Donald Trump’s hands. Trump has spent years campaigning against Biden, and his poor debate performance emphasized his struggles to adjust. While Trump fumbles and mistakenly attacks her for Biden’s mistakes, Harris can follow up on her debate success by revitalizing failed Biden-era policies to further escape Trump’s narrative. 

Another way Harris could offer a more attractive alternative to Trump and Biden’s policies is by shifting toward the left, especially in regard to Israel-Palestine. Despite progressive economic policy, Biden held a more rightward stance on foreign policy toward Israel, which is likely contributing to his unpopularity among young voters. Not only would it separate her from Biden’s tactics, but a leftward shift would also position Harris as a more definitive foil against Trump’s right-wing attitudes toward Israel. 

There is no definitive answer on whether or not falling back on left-leaning policies would jeopardize her support from swing voters. Like nearly all groups, moderates aren’t a monolith. They are politically nuanced, not totally moderate on all issues and younger and more diverse than likely voters. They also represent 35% of American voters. Given their number and variability, neither Harris nor Trump should count on their full support to secure victory in 2024, nor should Harris need to. By embracing more progressive policies, Harris can secure the voting bloc that was instrumental to Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory: youth. 

Revitalizing her stance on foreign policy, particularly in terms of Gaza, is especially relevant to young voters. Offering a “new generation of leadership,” Harris has made young voters a major focus for her campaign, with avant-garde social media campaigns and a joyful public persona emphasized early on. Gaza represents a more nuanced opportunity for Harris to distinguish herself from Donald Trump’s draconian stances on the war. More importantly, it may be precisely what Harris needs to solidify a win in November. 

By successfully differentiating herself on foreign policy, Harris could make an even bigger impact. Foreign policy has always been important to voters, and it could play a crucial role in the upcoming election. Globally, the United States stands in a very precarious position. Trump and Biden were radically different in their foreign policy approaches, but neither managed to make significant gains. Iran, China and Russia have become increasingly large thorns in the side of the U.S. over the course of their presidencies, with the former presidents’ ineffective, adversarial policies a major contributor. The wars in Gaza and Ukraine and other defense obligations are sapping billions of dollars in U.S. taxpayer money, with no relief in sight. 

Under Harris, this must change. How global, super or powerful is a “global superpower” that cannot expeditiously negotiate terms for peace in a Ukraine or Gaza war it has a vested interest, not to mention a moral imperative, in seeing end? If the U.S. cannot convince its greatest ally Israel to minimize the suffering of Palestinians while it fights to rescue Israeli hostages, how should any of our allies take our demands seriously? Simply put, the U.S. must involve itself more assertively in diplomacy to ensure that the values it touts so vehemently translate into action. As a representative of a new generation of leadership, Harris must lead the charge on this front. 

Harris isn’t yet imbued with presidential power, but becoming more vocal on issues such as the war in Gaza could go a long way in reshaping her campaign. In being more emphatic on issues her voters care about, Harris can make strides to secure her base and put her best foot forward to defeat Trump in November. So long as her signals towards Palestinians remain rhetorical and her policy mostly indistinguishable from her predecessor, a significant portion of the Democratic base that got Biden elected in 2020 will remain uncertain in supporting her. 

Maximilian Schenke is an Opinion Columnist who writes about whatever is on his mind, but typically focuses on politics. He loves receiving criticism or otherwise at maxsch@umich.edu.

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