It all started in February, at the last minute: Michigan organizers hoped to use the state’s Democratic primary to send a message to President Joe Biden to end his support for Israel’s war in Gaza.
Six months later, Biden is no longer the Democratic presidential nominee. But America’s “unwavering” support for the war endures. As does the “non-committee” movement that originated in Michigan.
The original goal was to encourage primary voters across the country to vote “non-pledged” in protest of the war. But now that the primary season is over, the “non-pledged movement” has set its sights on a new platform: the Democratic National Convention.
Next week, 30 delegates from eight states, representing some 700,000 voters who cast noncommittal ballots, will travel to the convention in Chicago. Although they did not have a chance to speak formally during the debates, they hope their presence will send a strong message.
“We are the first delegation to represent Palestinian human rights. And I think that is very important. We are a small but powerful group,” said Asma Mohammed, who organized the “uncommitted” movement ahead of the Minnesota primary.
Mohammed acknowledged that the “uncommitted” delegates would be in the minority at the convention. But she stressed that the voter base they represent could be decisive in the November general election.
“There are 30 of us and there are over 4,000 delegates at the national level. So we represent less than 1% of the delegates,” she told Tel Aviv Tribune.
“But in the convention hall, we will represent the Palestinians who have been slaughtered, we will represent the million voters across the country who have said they want an immediate ceasefire and an arms embargo.”
The group had requested that Dr. Tanya Haj-Hassan, a pediatric intensive care physician who worked in Gaza, speak at the convention. Their appeal was rejected, Mohammed said.
Delegates, under the banner of the National Uncommitted Movement, will nonetheless hold a program of events on the fringes of the convention, where they will meet with various caucuses and seek to rally other delegates committed to Kamala Harris, the new Democratic presidential nominee.
“Fighting for human rights”
The National Movement Without Commitment has already used its position to protest the continuing bloodshed in Gaza, where more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed.
Earlier this month, Harris was officially nominated as the Democratic nominee following a virtual roll call — an online vote in which all delegates could participate.
Instead of voting for Harris, the “uncommitted” delegates nominated Gaza victims. Mohammed was among the delegates who participated in the protest.
“I voted for Reem Badwan, a three-year-old girl who was murdered in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza,” Mohammed said. “And I made it clear that my vote (in the general election) was conditional on a ceasefire and an arms embargo.”
Ahmad Awad, an “uncommitted” delegate from New Jersey, said the effort was a “symbolic way to shine a light on the many victims of war.” The 29-year-old lawyer nominated Abdul Rahman Manhal, a 14-year-old boy killed in the Nuseirat refugee camp in Gaza in November.
“The districts I represent as an uncommitted delegate include Paterson and Clifton, New Jersey, which are home to a large Palestinian-American community. It’s kind of like Little Ramallah,” Awad said, drawing an analogy to the West Bank city.
Awad explained that his participation in the “no commitment” movement stems from a family history of fighting and surviving human rights violations.
“Fighting for human rights is something that is really ingrained in my DNA,” he told Tel Aviv Tribune.
“On my father’s side, both my grandparents were born in Palestine before 1948. On my mother’s side, they are Polish. My grandfather is a survivor of the Nazi labor camps.”
“Resolved is the best word”
In Harris’ sudden entry into the presidential race, activists saw a potential opening for a change of course in U.S. policy toward Israel.
Harris became the Democratic nominee after Biden withdrew from the race on July 21, citing concerns about his age and ability to lead.
While Biden has pushed a policy of “hug diplomacy” toward Israel, some observers believe Harris has signaled her intention to take a tougher stance.
Shortly after entering the presidential race, Harris pledged to speak out against the suffering of Palestinian civilians. “I will not be silent,” she said, shortly after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In a brief exchange with two “uncommitted” leaders – Layla Elabed and Abbas Alawieh – at a campaign stop in Detroit this month, she also said she would speak with the group.
But her campaign has not set a date for the meeting, and a Harris campaign adviser dampened hopes that she would support a full arms embargo on Israel.
Michael Berg, a 49-year-old unpledged delegate from Missouri, said Harris had given some positive signs, although he had tempered his expectations.
“It’s hard to know where things are going,” said Berg, who selected Jihad Khaled Abu Amer, a 2-year-old victim of Gaza, as his vote in the virtual roll call. “I hope Vice President Harris is not as entrenched in her positions as President Biden appears to be.”
Nevertheless, Berg explained that he and the other “uncommitted” delegates were determined in their mission to advocate for a cease-fire at the Democratic National Convention.
“So we are resolute, that’s the right word. We are going to the convention because we have received a very clear mandate and mission from the people, and we are going to do what we can.”
“Standing with my fellow Kentuckians”
As the convention approached, the “uncommitted” movement added delegates to its group.
Violet Olds, for example, ran to represent Kentucky’s “unengaged” voter segment but was not initially involved in the movement.
Olds, a digital project manager, said that after being selected by the party to represent unengaged voters, she was approached by her local Democratic Socialists of America chapter, which connected her to the national protest movement.
“I actually reached out and found ways to connect with other Kentucky voters to find out why they voted without engaging and how I can represent their voice at the convention,” the 41-year-old told Tel Aviv Tribune.
“This all comes down to Gaza and Palestine, so I stand in solidarity with my fellow Kentuckians and the Palestinians.”
In the call, Olds named Mohammad Bhar, a 24-year-old Palestinian with Down syndrome who died after being mauled by an Israeli military dog in his home in Shujayea, Gaza.
“I’m autistic, which means I represent a completely different class of people than the Democratic Party is used to representing, and my son is also autistic,” Olds said. “So when I heard Mohammad’s story, it really, really, really resonated with me.”
Others, like Inga Gibson, a delegate from Hawaii, have long been involved in the Palestine solidarity movement. Nearly 30 percent of Hawaii’s Democratic primary voters voted “uncommitted,” the highest proportion of any state. Seven of the island nation’s 22 delegates are “uncommitted.”
Gibson attributed this involvement to “Hawaii’s own history of settler colonialism.”
“Many Native Hawaiians within the Palestinian liberation movement made this parallel,” she explained.
Gibson, a 52-year-old environmental policy consultant, said the relatively small size of the “uncommitted” delegation does not reflect broader sentiment against U.S. support for Israel.
Polls have repeatedly shown that Democrats broadly disapprove of Israel’s actions. Experts say support for Israel could put Democrats at a disadvantage in several key states, including Michigan and Pennsylvania.
“I don’t feel that our movement is in any way a minority, even though our delegates are, in themselves, a minority compared to 4,000 others,” Gibson said. She cited Ruba Yasser Nawas, a 22-year-old computer engineer and Gaza victim, during the roll-call vote.
“Everything we ask is completely normal.”
“We can’t just make this week a party”
June Rose, Rhode Island’s only “uncommitted” delegate, also said it was incorrect to assume that members of the delegation came from the fringes of the Democratic Party.
“We are professional Democrats. I am the chief of staff for the Providence City Council. I have made a career out of helping elect Democrats and defeat Republicans who pose an incredible risk to the future of our country,” the 29-year-old told Tel Aviv Tribune.
“But my relationship with the party will never replace my relationship with my values, and in this case my values and my party are in direct conflict.”
Rose named Eileen Abu Odeh, a young girl killed along with her family in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza, during the call. They said the delegation’s presence at the Democratic National Convention could serve as a test case for the party as it prepares to chart a path forward on foreign policy.
“Our party cannot simply make this week a celebration, and I think that’s the tone that many members of our party want to take,” Rose said. “But that celebration would be on the graves of innocent children who were slaughtered.”
