In the speech, Harris said she would always support the security of Israel, but also raised concerns about the toll of the war in Gaza.
“President Biden and I are working to end this war such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security and freedom to self-determination,” Harris said.
Many pro-Palestinian activists were frustrated.
Pro-Palestinian activists who were “cautiously optimistic about Kamala Harris now feel deflated and erased,” argued Khaled Elgindy, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute who leads the think tank’s research on Palestinian issues.
But Democratic lawmakers were largely supportive of the speech.
Harris “struck just the right balance,” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) said on CNN. “I thought she was very strong.”
Harris had initially garnered some enthusiasm among the pro-Palestinian crowd after she met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month and vowed she would “not be silent” on Gaza.
But the Democratic convention has left many critics believing Harris will continue President Biden’s policy of supporting Israel while at the same time, expressing rhetorical concern about Gaza.
Frustration is also evident among the Uncommitted National Movement, made up of some 30 delegates after more than 700,000 Americans voted against Biden in the primaries.
The movement tried to get a Palestinian American speaker on the DNC stage but was denied by Harris.
For many pro-Palestinian activists, the denial of a speaker was even more upsetting than the speech.
Daniel Engelhart, an uncommitted delegate from Minnesota, was among those angered with how the convention played out for Gaza.
“There’s no shift from Biden,” he said. “The messenger has changed, but the message hasn’t changed.”
Read the full report at TheHill.com.
