Because Democrats will not discuss Palestinian rights in Chicago, we will

Democrats are approaching their 2024 convention aware of the many critical issues at stake in this election. There is deep concern with what a second Trump administration would mean for women’s rights, civil rights, environmental protections, immigration policy, civil discourse and the very foundation of our democratic order. These issues and more are discussed at length in the 2024 Democratic Party Platform and will be addressed by speakers at the convention.

What will not be discussed are: The genocide unfolding in Gaza, the continued erosion of Palestinian rights in the Occupied Territories, and the role the United States plays in supporting Israel’s unconscionable violations of international law and US human rights legislation. Because these topics should but won’t be addressed, the Arab American Institute (AAI), with Rev. Jesse Jackson’s RainbowPUSH organisation and other prominent progressive groups, are hosting three days of programmes before the Convention’s official proceedings begin. The topics that will be explored during these AAI events are:

• “The Role of Dark Money in Politics”. We will discuss how pro-Israel groups spent more than $35 million this year to smear and defeat two progressive black members of Congress who had advocated for Palestinian rights. Dark money has been a growing concern over the past three election cycles. Twice, in Democratic Party meetings, we have tried to pass resolutions banning its use in primary contests, but party leaders refused to even allow a debate on the issue. Left unchecked, the problem of dark money will grow and before long not only pro-Israel, but also other special interest groups (like big pharma, banks, health insurance, etc.) will attempt to take advantage of the loophole allowing unlimited amounts of money to flood our elections.

• “The Role of Congress in Sponsoring Legislation that Silences Free Speech”. Just as the US policy debate over Israel/Palestine has intensified, pro-Israel groups have worked with some members of Congress and state legislators to silence voices and penalise actions critical of Israel. By expanding antisemitism’s definition to include most criticisms of Israel and by denying Americans the right to boycott or call for sanctions against any country for any reason, free speech is being constrained or outright denied. Currently, over three dozen states have passed these laws and Congress is debating legislation that will conflate criticism of Israel with antisemitism and require universities and other institutions receiving federal funds to establish enforcement mechanisms.

• “The Voices of Palestinians Who Should Be Heard”. After 40,000 Palestinians have been killed, most of Gaza laid waste, and famine on the horizon, Democrats need to hear and listen to Palestinians. If the convention won’t invite them, they will be at the AAI event to tell their story.

• “An Examination of What’s Not Included in The Democratic Party’s Platform”. Arab Americans and those concerned with justice in the Middle East have been waging battles to shape the political parties’ positions on Israel/Palestine. We’ll look at what is changed and what has not during the past four decades. Forty years ago, we couldn’t get the word “Palestinians” in the platform. Now it’s in the Democrats’ platform, but neither party will include the word occupation or any criticism of Israeli policies. That must change.

• “The Role the Gaza War Is Playing in Changing Public Opinion and Its Impact on the Future of the Democratic Party”. Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza has become central to the agenda of progressives in the Democratic Party. Polls show that majorities of Democrats oppose Israel’s conduct of the war in Gaza, want a ceasefire and conditioning of US aid to Israel, and support justice and rights for Palestinians. These numbers are largely driven by young voters, progressive Jewish groups, and Black, Latino and Asian, and Arab Americans, all of whom are important to Democratic victories.

In addition to AAI’s three-day event, other groups seeking to pressure the establishment to change direction on a variety of Issues of concern will host events. But AAI’s is the only one that will challenge the party to confront “the elephant in the room”: Our unquestioning support for Israel in its unrelenting genocidal war on Palestinians. It is an issue that the majority of Democrats want the party to discuss and a policy they want the administration to change.

The writer is president of the Washington-based Arab American Institute