We were initially swept up in the wave of enthusiasm that took hold when Vice President Kamala Harris became presidential candidate Kamala Harris. She was a breath of fresh air, who rekindled hope that she and Tim Walz could reignite the Democratic Party’s values, rooted in social justice, casting a net wide enough to encompass all of our diverse voices. Ultimately, however, the Harris campaign affixed a “no Palestinians allowed” sign at the entrance to the Democratic tent, with the decision that no Palestinian would be permitted to address the convention delegates on the main stage of Chicago’s United Center.

The DNC displayed inclusivity throughout the week, with multiple personal narratives. One of these featured the American parents of an Israeli hostage. Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin, parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was taken hostage on October 7th, addressed the DNC audience on Aug. 21, with these words: “In a competition of pain, there are no winners,” pleading for “a deal that brings this diverse group of 109 hostages home and ends the suffering of the innocent civilians in Gaza.” The audience responded with tears and cheers. This week, we learned of their son’s utterly tragic death. That night their message resonated with deep empathy for the devastated families of loved ones in Israel and Gaza. Yet, when the Uncommitted National Movement asked to let a Palestinian address the delegates, they were refused.

Ruwa Romann, a Palestinian American and state representative in the Georgia Legislature, offered to address the convention. When she was denied, she gave her speech outside the convention. Her words were moving and relevant to everyone, as she spoke of Democrats’ “commitment to equal rights and dignity for all,” emphasizing that “our party’s greatest strength is our ability to unite.” You can read her speech online here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8K5FIp-GN8.

The Harris campaign’s refusal to allow any Palestinian to address the delegates, was both a strategic mistake and a moral failure. It was an opportunity to allow a Palestinian to speak directly to the American public, giving a personal voice to the current Palestinian experience. This was a “both/and” opportunity, a moment where the potential for deeper understanding might occur, which goes beyond the typical, “I’m right and you’re wrong” dichotomous thinking that all too often defines the debate about Israel/Palestine in this country. The fact that the DNC chose to silence Palestinian voices is not only a failure of moral courage, but also reinforces the “facelessness” and dehumanization of Palestinians and their continued invisibility — despite Harris’ claim in her speech to support the “self-determination” of Palestinians.

During her Aug. 22 acceptance speech, Harris addressed the Israel-Palestine conflict with these words:

“I will always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself. And I will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself … At the same time, what has happened in Gaza over the past 10 months is devastating. So many innocent lives lost, desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety over and over again. The scale of suffering is heartbreaking. 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, freedom, and self-determination.”

Many pundits thought her ability to speak to both sides of the conflict was brilliant. What Harris didn’t mention was that a week earlier the Biden administration gave the green light to sending $20 billion worth of weapons to Israel. Harris’ message had little new to offer. To Israelis, it’s a message that the U.S. will defend you. To Palestinians, it’s a message of, “We feel your pain, but we’re not going to change our tactics.” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez amplified Harris’ message, by extolling how Harris “had been working tirelessly to secure a cease-fire in Gaza and bring hostages home.” Rep. Ilhan Omar responded, “Working tirelessly for a cease-fire doesn’t really mean anything when we’re continuing to supply weapons for Israel.”

Michel Moushabeck, owner of Interlink Publishing in Northampton asks in an essay entitled, “Shame on the DNC,” “Could there be clearer evidence that the DNC does not give equal value to Israeli and Palestinian lives?”

The erasure of a Palestinian voice at the DNC, along with the continued reliance on American taxpayers funding an endless war that continues to escalate, poses a serious threat to Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. Hundreds of thousands of people voted “uncommitted” in the Biden presidential primary. While many uncommitted voters will vote for Harris, it’s quite possible that many will express their despair and frustration by sitting out the election, even if it results in a Republican victory.

We implore Kamala Harris and Tim Walz to graciously invite Palestinians and their allies into the Democratic tent. Harris must send a firm message that she will not continue to spend our taxpayer dollars to fuel an already raging war.

“Let’s commit to each other, to electing Vice President Harris and defeating Donald Trump who uses my identity as a Palestinian as a slur … To those who doubt us, to the cynics and the naysayers, I say, yes we can — yes we can be a Democratic Party that prioritizes funding our schools and hospitals, not for endless wars. That fights for an America that belongs to all of us — Black, brown, and white, Jews and Palestinians, all of us, like my grandfather taught me, together.” – Georgia State Rep. Rua Romann

Sara Weinberger, of Easthampton, and Jeff Gold, of Amherst, co-authored this guest colum with Aaron Berman, of Amherst, Devorah Jacobson, of Hadley, and Tom Weiner, of Northampton. The authors are local Jewish activists, currently working together to bring co-authors Raja Khouri and Jeffrey Wilkinson of the book, “The Wall Between: What Jews and Palestinians Don’t Know About Each Other” to the Valley via Zoom.