While pro-Israeli speakers were featured at this week's Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, pro-Palestinian delegates were not given the chance to discuss the detrimental effects of "Israel's" war on Gaza.

A proposal to have a speaker discuss how the genocide has affected the Gaza Strip was turned down by convention organizers, The Washington Post said, citing an unnamed source familiar with the issue.

The proposal was made by "uncommitted" delegates who refused to back Vice President Kamala Harris because they disapproved of the Biden administration's adamant support for "Israel". The speakers the delegates had intended to bring to the table to talk about the destruction in Gaza were abruptly cut out.

Abbas Alawieh, co-founder of the Uncommitted National Movement, said, “That’s unacceptable to us. This is not over.”

The Uncommitted Movement pushed to include Dr. Tanya Haj-Hassan on the speaker list, hoping the convention’s thousands of attendees would hear from a doctor who has treated victims of the war on Gaza. However, their request was only partially granted at first, with a panel held at the nearby McCormick Center rather than in the main venue. During the panel, the pediatrician vividly described the horrors of war, moving many in the audience to tears.

AOC denounces move by DNC organizers

Another vocal member of Congress from New York, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, denounced the choice and urged the convention to change its mind.

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“Just as we must honor the humanity of hostages, so too must we center the humanity of the 40,000 Palestinians killed under Israeli bombardment,” AOC posted on X, adding, “To deny that story is to participate in the dehumanization of Palestinians. The DNC must change course and affirm our shared humanity.”

Just as we must honor the humanity of hostages, so too must we center the humanity of the 40,000 Palestinians killed under Israeli bombardment.

To deny that story is to participate in the dehumanization of Palestinians. The @DNC must change course and affirm our shared humanity. https://t.co/bxk8wk63oK

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) August 22, 2024

On the other hand, Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg took the stage at the conference in Chicago on Wednesday. Hersh Goldberg-Polin, their son, was at the Nova music festival on October 7 and is one of the captives. 

The couple received a standing ovation from thousands of Democratic delegates, who also chanted "bring him home."

Polin said, “This is a political convention, but needing our only son and all of the cherished hostages home is not a political issue. It is a humanitarian issue," noting that both Joe Biden and Harris were “both working tirelessly for a hostage and cease-fire deal.”

'A terrible message'

In addition, Uncommitted pro-Palestinian delegates began a sit-in demonstration outside the convention on Wednesday night in protest of the absence of a speaker who was American-Palestinian.

Following the Polin-Goldberg speech, the group Muslim Women For Harris Walz said, “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.”

They added, “The family of the Israeli hostage that was on the stage tonight has shown more empathy towards Palestinian Americans and Palestinians than our candidate or the DNC has,” noting, "This is a terrible message to send to Democrats. Palestinians have the right to speak about Palestine". 

Before the convention ended, they pleaded with the DNC and Harris's team to reevaluate their choice "for the sake of each of us."

As the Democratic Party's National Convention commenced two days ago, large demonstrations took place in Chicago demanding an end to sending arms to "Israel" and the cessation of the war on Gaza.

US Vice President Kamala Harris's National Security Advisor, Philip Gordon, stated earlier this month that the Democratic presidential candidate "does not support an arms embargo on Israel."