“We want a meeting with Vice President Harris so we can talk to her to get a commitment for an arms embargo and a ceasefire.” That’s the demand of “uncommitted” delegates to the upcoming Democratic National Convention, who have pledged to withhold support for the Democratic presidential nominee over the Biden administration’s backing of Israel’s ongoing attack on the Gaza Strip. We’re joined by Asma Mohammed, a DNC-bound uncommitted delegate with Minnesota Uncommitted. She shares how pro-Palestine activism has shaped the 2024 presidential race, including Kamala Harris’s decision to tap Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate over Pennsylvania’s Josh Shapiro, who recently likened pro-Palestine protesters to the KKK. Walz has also been “pretty clear in his support for Israel” but, unlike Shapiro and other politicians, has additionally demonstrated a “willingness to learn and to move,” says Mohammed, a Minnesota resident. Overall, she says, the choice of Walz has renewed hope for many in the uncommitted movement as “a reminder that Kamala Harris is different” than President Biden and may be more receptive to restraining Israel if elected.
Listen, I’m just looking for a reason to hold on to hope right now. Americans are brainwashed about foreign policy in such a thorough way that I can’t see a scenario where we have a strong response against Israel’s genocidal actions for quite some time. It’s sickening, so when I see someone who is critical of Biden in his own administration, I appreciate it.
I appreciate where you’re coming from – it would be a huge emotional relief to us all to see the killing in Gaza and the West Bank stop.
I just think there is a need to be realistic about the possibility of a meaningful shift when it comes to Palestine under a Harris presidency.
At this point, it’s fingers crossed that bibi will piss her off enough that she actually stops sending arms
in the best case scenario the ceasefire will come well before she takes office in January