First-Ever DNC Panel on Palestinian Rights: We Need to “Restore the Soul of the Democratic Party”

Summary

The Democratic National Convention (DNC) witnessed a historic first with a panel on Palestinian human rights, moderated by Keith Ellison. The panel included activists and medical professionals sharing firsthand accounts of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, urging for policy change and an end to U.S. support for Israel's military actions. The convention also saw protests against the U.S. arming of Israel during President Biden's speech, highlighting the growing call for justice and peace in the region.

Takeaways

• 🌍 The Democratic National Convention (DNC) held its first-ever panel on Palestinian human rights, highlighting significant grassroots activism.
• 🗣️ The panel featured notable speakers, including Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and former Michigan Congress member Andy Hala Hijazi, whose family has been heavily impacted by violence in Gaza.
• 📜 James Zogby, founder of the Arab American Institute, emphasized the historical importance of the panel, noting past struggles to discuss Palestinian rights within the Democratic Party.
• 💔 Dr. Tanya Hashash, a Pediatric Intensive Care surgeon, shared harrowing stories from her experiences in Gaza, detailing the severe humanitarian crisis and civilian massacres.
• 👶 Dr. Hashash highlighted the devastating impact on children in Gaza, including those who have lost entire families and suffered severe injuries.
• 📢 Leila Alabed, co-chair of the Uncommitted National Movement, expressed the movement's determination to hold the Democratic Party accountable to its values of justice and equality.
• 🇺🇸 President Biden addressed the convention, mentioning efforts to prevent a wider war and provide humanitarian aid to Gaza, though his comments sparked protests from delegates.
• 🪧 During Biden's speech, delegates from 'Delegates Against Genocide' protested by unfurling a banner demanding an end to U.S. arms support for Israel.
• ✊ The protests reflected deep concerns among some Democratic delegates about U.S. involvement in the ongoing conflict and the need for a change in policy.
• 🕊️ The panel and subsequent events underscored a growing push within the Democratic Party to address Palestinian human rights and reconsider U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.

Q & A

What was the significance of the first-ever panel on Palestinian human rights at the DNC?

The panel marked a historic moment as it was the first time such a topic was officially discussed at the DNC, indicating a shift in the willingness to address Palestinian rights within the Democratic Party.

Who moderated the panel on Palestinian human rights at the DNC?

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison moderated the panel.

What role did Jesse Jackson play in elevating the issue of Palestine in previous Democratic conventions?

Jesse Jackson was instrumental in bringing the issue of Palestine to the forefront at the 1984 and 1988 Democratic conventions, where he mentioned it in his speeches and fought for a platform debate on the matter.

What was the message from the Harris campaign regarding the panel on Palestinian rights?

The Harris campaign signaled a willingness to engage with the issue by supporting the panel, indicating a potential shift in policy and an openness to discuss Palestinian rights.

What did Dr. Tanya Hashmi Hassan witness as a Pediatric Intensive Care surgeon in Gaza?

Dr. Tanya Hashmi Hassan witnessed numerous civilian massacres, including school and shelter massacres, the killing of humanitarians, healthcare workers, and journalists, and the suffering of children who have lost their families.

What term has been coined to describe children in Gaza who have lost their entire families?

The term 'Wounded Child, No Surviving Family' (WCNSF) has been coined to describe the phenomenon of children in Gaza who have lost all their family members due to attacks.

What alarming health issue has emerged in Gaza as mentioned by Dr. Tanya Hashmi Hassan?

Dr. Tanya Hashmi Hassan reported the emergence of polio cases in Gaza, a disease that had been eradicated from the region for decades.

What was the emotional response of Leila al-Abed to Dr. Tanya Hashmi Hassan's comments?

Leila al-Abed, co-chair of the uncommitted movement, was deeply moved by Dr. Hassan's comments and briefly walked out of the panel, later returning to respond to a question about the movement's plans.

What is the goal of the uncommitted national movement according to Leila al-Abed?

The goal of the uncommitted national movement is to restore the soul of the Democratic Party by advocating for values such as freedom, equality, and justice, and to demand action against the ongoing suffering in Gaza.

Outlines

00:00

📜 Historic Palestinian Rights Panel at DNC

The first-ever panel on Palestinian human rights was held at the Democratic National Convention (DNC), a significant milestone achieved through grassroots organizing. Moderated by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, the panel included former Congress member andy1 Hala hijazi, a democratic organizer, Dr. Tanya hash Hassan, a Pediatric Intensive Care surgeon, Leila alabed, co-chair of the uncommitted movement, and James Z, a former executive member of the DNC and founder of the Arab American Institute. The discussion highlighted the evolution of Palestinian rights discourse within the Democratic party, with a focus on the role of Jesse Jackson in elevating the issue. The panel also underscored the importance of policy change and the Harris campaign's willingness to engage on the topic.

05:01

🚨 Eyewitness Accounts of Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza

Dr. Tanya hash Hassan, a Pediatric Intensive Care surgeon, shared her firsthand experiences from Gaza, detailing the civilian massacres, school attacks, and the targeting of aid sites. She spoke of the overwhelming number of children who have lost their families, coining the term 'Wounded Child with No Surviving Family (WCNSF)' to describe the orphaned and injured. The account included stories of children on the brink of death and the dire circumstances they face post-recovery, such as direct bombing, starvation, and disease. The polio outbreak in Gaza was also mentioned, emphasizing the collapse of the healthcare system and the dire need for international attention and action.

10:02

😢 Personal Stories of Suffering and Resilience in Gaza

The panel continued with Dr. Hassan recounting personal stories of individuals affected by the conflict in Gaza. A young boy with severe facial injuries and his sister, who was burned beyond recognition, were among the victims she described. The boy's wish to join his family in heaven underscored the depth of the emotional trauma. Additionally, a dedicated nurse's experience of being detained and tortured, and his subsequent work in the emergency department, highlighted the resilience and commitment of healthcare workers amidst immense personal loss. These stories serve to humanize the statistics and bring attention to the urgent need for change in U.S. policy towards Gaza.

15:02

🌐 The Uncommitted Movement's Call for Democratic Party Action

Leila alabed, co-chair of the uncommitted national movement, addressed the DNC, emphasizing the critical moment for the Democratic Party to uphold its values of freedom, equality, and justice. She called for an arms embargo, a ceasefire, and an end to war, arguing that silence in the face of suffering equates to complicity. Alabed connected the struggle for Palestinian rights with other social justice movements, urging the party to recognize the equal rights of Palestinians and to take moral action in line with its historical commitment to justice.

20:03

🛡️ Protests and President Biden's Remarks on Gaza at DNC

During President Biden's speech at the DNC, delegates from the group 'Delegates Against'

Keywords

💡Democratic National Convention (DNC)

The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is the formal event by which the Democratic Party of the United States nominates its candidates for the President and Vice President of the country. In the script, the DNC is significant as it hosts the first-ever panel on Palestinian human rights, indicating a shift in discourse within the party.

💡Grassroots organizing

Grassroots organizing refers to the activism that starts at the local level, often by individuals or small groups, to effect change. In the context of the video, grassroots organizing is credited with the addition of the panel on Palestinian human rights at the DNC, showing the influence of bottom-up activism on party policy discussions.

💡Palestine

Palestine is a geographic region in the Eastern Mediterranean, and the term is often used to refer to the areas of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, which are the subject of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The script discusses the historical lack of discussion about Palestine at the DNC and the recent inclusion of Palestinian rights on the convention's agenda.

💡Human rights

Human rights are the basic rights and freedoms to which all individuals are entitled, including the right to life, liberty, and security of person. The script highlights the first panel on Palestinian human rights at the DNC, emphasizing the importance of recognizing and addressing these rights in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

💡Gaza

Gaza is a self-governing Palestinian territory that has been the site of significant conflict and humanitarian crises. The script discusses the impact of military actions on the people of Gaza, including the effects of bombings and the resulting suffering of civilians.

💡Civilian massacre

A civilian massacre refers to the mass killing of non-combatants during a conflict. The script describes multiple instances of civilian massacres in Gaza, emphasizing the severity of the human rights abuses being discussed.

💡UNCOMMITTED movement

The UNCOMMITTED movement is an initiative mentioned in the script that seems to be focused on advocating for change within the Democratic Party regarding its stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The movement is highlighted as part of the push for recognition and policy change.

Highlights

First ever panel on Palestinian human rights at the DNC, moderated by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.

Grassroots organizing against US support for Israel's assault on Gaza led to the panel's announcement.

Panelist Andy1 Hala hijazi spoke on the historic significance of discussing Palestine at the DNC.

Jesse Jackson's role in elevating the issue of Palestine at previous conventions was highlighted.

The panel was a bottom-up movement initiated by activists across the country.

Dr. Tanya hash Hassan, a Pediatric Intensive Care surgeon, shared her experiences in Gaza with Doctors Without Borders.

Hassan described civilian massacres, including school and flower massacres, and the targeting of aid sites in Gaza.

Over 177,000 children in Gaza have lost one or both parents since October, according to Hassan.

Reports of the first cases of polio in Gaza emerged amidst a healthcare system annihilated by military assault.

Hassan shared personal stories of children and healthcare workers affected by the conflict in Gaza.

Leila alabed, co-chair of the uncommitted movement, called for the Democratic Party to stand for justice and end its silence on the suffering in Gaza.

Alabed emphasized the importance of recognizing the Palestinian struggle within the Democratic Party.

President Biden's brief mention of Israel's war on Gaza and his commitment to humanitarian aid during his DNC speech.

Transcripts

this is democracy Now

democracynow.org War peace in the

presidency breaking with convention I'm

Amy Goodman here in Chicago with Juan

Gonzalez well the opening day of the

democratic convention on Monday featured

the first ever panel on Palestinian

human rights at the DNC the panel was

announced just a day earlier and came

after persistent Grassroots organizing

against us support for Israel's assault

on Gaza the panel was moderated by

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison

and featured former Michigan Congress

member andy1 Hala hijazi a democratic

organizer and fundraiser who's had over

100 family members killed in Gaza Dr

Tanya hash Hassan a Pediatric Intensive

Care surgeon who served in Gaza many

times Leila alabed the co-chair of the

uncommitted movement and James Z

a former longtime executive member of

the Democratic National Committee and

the founder of the Arab American

Institute zagi began by speaking about

the significance of the first ever panel

on Palestinian rights being held at the

DNC I have been doing this for most of

my life like 50 years and um remember

when we couldn't get the issue of

Palestine discussed at the Coalition for

a new foreign and military policy that

was all the left groups because because

they said if you let the Arabs in we'll

we'll lose our credibility and when the

anniversary of Dr King's March happened

again we were invited to be on the

steering committee and they said H if

you let the Arabs in it'll hurt our

credibility and so we were asked to

leave um Jesse Jackson made all the

difference in the world because he

elevated the

issue and he elevated those of us who

rais the issue and the last two times

the only only two times that the word

Palestine was mentioned at a democratic

convention was 1984 1988 with Jesse

Jackson when when he spoke in his speech

about it and he invited me first to give

him a nominating speech where I talked

about Justice for Palestinians and then

in ' 88 we had a platform fight an

actual platform debate from the podium

of the convention unjustice for

Palestinians so we've come a long way

people say to me well you just being

optimistic you're just saying you know

cup is half full I say no I remember

when we didn't have a

cup and we are now with a cup and

filling it up so when I look at this

panel today it is not the prize the

prize is a change in policy that's the

prize but what's historic here is that

we are having an officially sanctioned

panel to talk about it like I said it's

not the main prize it's not the big

prize but it is something I do not want

to dismiss for a minute as to how

significant this is about what message

the Harris campaign is sending by saying

we want to talk about this and hear you

talk about

it and so I've heard some grumbling you

know I quote Willie Barrow friend of

mine from the Jackson campaign in the '

80s who said we ain't never been here

before she'd say we ain't never been

here we've never had this forum before

and it is not like I said the end it's

the beginning of a process and the

difference is and I told this to ilila

and uh and abas last night that when we

raised it in 84 and 88 we did so because

Jesse Jackson enabled us it was a top

down there were people in our Jackson

Coalition who were reever you sure you

want to do this are you sure you want to

talk about this he said damn it I'm

doing it I've been doing it from the

beginning we're not backing away this is

different no C

elevated this movement this was a bottom

up this was aboss this was Lea this was

wed this was activists across the

country who said we're not

taking

and part of recognition of that is that

we're having a forum a recognized I've

been a lot of the Forum since this day

has begun you know i' I've been to a

number of these sessions this is the

largest audience I've seen for any one

of

them that was James zogby the former

longtime executive member of the

Democratic National Committee and the

founder of The arab-american Institute

one of the most emotional parts of the

panel came during comments by Dr Tan

haaj Hassan a Pediatric Intensive Care

surgeon who has been to Gaza several

times over the past 10 months with the a

group Doctors Without Borders and other

groups she spoke about some of what she

witnessed in

Gaza for the past 10 months we have

witnessed civilian Massacre after

civilian Massacre School massacres were

interally displaced people were

Sheltering the flower

Massacre massacres of people trying to

collect water massacr of people

collecting Aid at Aid sites Massacre

after civilian Massacre entire families

uh exterminated in one single

bomb humanitarians healthcare workers

killed at and journalists killed at

record in record numbers pediatric

amputations amputations and children

that are breaking records over 177,000

children who have lost one or both

parents since October in in

Gaza we we have treated so many children

who have lost their entire

family that it

has a a term has been coined to describe

these children you've probably heard it

wounded child no surviving family W cnsf

this is a term that has been coined

since October to describe this very

frequent phenomenon that I personally

witnessed more times than I can count

while I was

there for children uh I have held the

hand of children who are taking their

last gasps because their entire family

was killed in the same attack and

couldn't be there holding their hand in

comforting them and could not bury them

thereafter for the children who I

treated who were discharged they were

and

survived they face a Russian Roulette of

a 100 ways that they will likely and

potentially die when they leave the

hospital due to the circumstances

incompatible with life that have been

architectured by this military assault

direct bombing starvation dehydration

disease alarming reports of the first

cases of polio in Gaza right now polio

is a potentially deadly disease that

causes paralysis including paralysis of

the muscles needed to breathe that has

been eradicated for

decades in that region there's been a

polio vaccination campaign that

essentially has eradicated the disease

from from the majority of the world and

now we're seeing cases emerging in a uh

area of the world that cannot that has a

a healthcare system that has been

completely and entirely

annihilated I mentioned these wounded

children with no surviving family I'm

going to give you two quick stories just

so that you can humanize what I mean

when I say this CU I know it's really

hard to hear these numbers and and think

about individuals and what this means to

them I received a young boy into the

emergency department during one of the

mass casualties who had half of his face

and neck blown

off luckily the organs that are vital

for breathing and blood supply to the

brain were preserved they were visible

but preserved and he was talking to us

he couldn't see himself so he didn't

know what he looked like at that point

in time and he kept asking for his

sister his sister was in the bed next to

him the majority of her body was burned

beyond

recognition he didn't recognize that the

girl in the bed next to him was his

sister his entire family parents and the

rest of his siblings were killed in the

same attack that boy survived and the

next day I went to see him a very young

plastic surgeon one of the few remaining

plastic surgeons in Gaza because though

the others have either been killed or

have had have fled understandably had

removed part of his chest and created a

graft to cover that those vital organs

of the neck he was lying in his bed and

mumbling cuz it was so difficult to talk

and he kept saying I got really close to

him and he said I wish I had died too

and I said what and he said I think my

entire family has gone to heaven it's

not my entire family his exact words

were something perfective everybody I

love is now in heaven I don't want to be

here anymore that is one of so many

stories I'm giving you I'm so sorry Lea

but I think people need to hear this I'm

giving you the story of one child

one of my healthcare worker colleagues a

young nurse one of the most dedicated

nurses I've ever met was trying to

evacuate a patient when alifa hospital

was bombed from north to south he

carried that

patient was eventually called by Israeli

forces not by name but by uniform you

the person in Scrubs come here he was

subsequently detained for 53 days he

reported physical sexual and

psychological torture while in DET Enon

and ultimately released because he had

no

crime after he was released he worked

constantly because one he was so

dedicated and two he suffered from

severe insomnia from the trauma of his

detention he was always in the

resuscitation room of the emergency

department cleaning out sand from the

eyes of people pulled from under the

rubble trying to comfort

them one

day overnight he he fell asleep holding

the the body of a dead child still with

the breathing tube in after they had

failed to resuscitate the

infant another day I asked him to go

home because he hadn't slept in so many

hours so he left the hospital a couple

hours later I see him in the emergency

department trying to resuscitate a man

who whose arms and leg sorry whose both

legs and one arm had been blown

off I asked him what he was doing in the

hospital I thought you went home to rest

and he said this is my sister's husband

they woke me up to tell me that the Aid

distribution site had been bombed and my

sister's husband had gone there so I

went to find him and

found him severely injured so I helped

him resuscitate this patient his home

has been destroyed he's he's a young man

he's engaged he's trying to get married

he had a whole life ahead of him and he

was a very dedicated healthcare worker

I'm giving you two stories a child and a

healthcare worker but these are

representative of literally almost

everybody I know in Gaza I don't know a

single healthcare worker who has not

lost multiple members of their

family

so as you as the US continues to fund

this military campaign unconditionally

and somewhat blindly in start contrast

to documented realities on the ground in

start contrast

to the findings of the international

court of justice of plausible genocide

and in stark contrast to the universal

Global condemnation of humanitarian and

human rights

organizations we have no choice but to

exert as much pressure as possible and

use all the leverage we

can to change direction uh the direction

that this country is

taking that was Dr Tanya hashas a

Pediatric Intensive Care surgeon who's

volunteered in Gaza hospitals a number

of times Lea alabed the co-chair of the

uncommitted national movement who was

seated right next to her was overcome

with emotion and briefly walked out

during hash Hassan's comments Leila

alabed later responded to a question

about the plans for the uncommitted

movement between now and

November we stand at a very crucial

moment for our party

the Democratic Party The Party of the

party of my father the party that has

stood up for justice is being

tested will it rise for the occasion and

stand for the values that it was built

on freedom equality

Justice or will it remain silent in the

face of unimaginable

suffering if we remain silent and we

become

complicit but if we stand up and demand

action an arms embargo a ceasefire an

end to

war we may have an

opportunity to restore the soul of the

democratic party and unite us under a

big

tent the listen to Michigan and the

uncommitted national

movement is is in the fight for the soul

of the democratic

[Music]

party I want to quote Fanny Lamer who

wasn't allowed to speak from the

stage at the 1964 Democratic National

Convention because of her

identity I question

America is this America the land of the

free and the home of the

brave all we are doing right now is in

the tradition of Fanny Lamer and the

Mississippi Freedom

Party and the civil rights movement of

the 1964 Democratic party convention

bringing moral

witness to the most powerful political

party in the world to listen to voices

deeply impacted by our US policy

decisions we aren't that different from

any other

movement from unions civil rights

gay marriage Reproductive Rights or

climate

Justice we are fighting to be

recognized to be part of this party and

we are fighting for this party to

believe in our equal

rights Hela and I shouldn't have to

stand up here and tell you the suffering

of our family

members for Democrats and for this

Administration and for vice president

Harris to want to do the moral and right

thing to

do Leila alabid is co-chair of the

uncommitted movements speaking at the

first ever panel on Palestinian human

rights here at the

DNC this is democracy Now

democracynow.org War peace in the

presidency breaking with convention I'm

Amy Goodman with Juan

Gonzalez on Monday night President Biden

headlined the opening night of the

Democratic National Convention Biden

speech came less than a month after he

announced uh he ended his re-election

campaign Paving the way for vice

president kamla Harris's nomination on

Monday night Biden briefly spoke about

Israel's war on Gaza we're working

around the clock my secretary of state

to prevent a wider war and reunite

hostages of their families and surge

humanitarian health and food assistance

into Gaza

now to

end the civilian suffering of the

Palestinian people and finally finally

finally deliver a ceasefire and end this

war those Pro those protesters out in

the street they have a point a lot of

innocent people are being killed on both

sides a few minutes into President

Biden's remarks

three delegates part of delegates

against genocide dropped a banner that

read stop arming Israel we were inside

the convention floor right next to the

Florida delegation where it happened

well some delegates snatched the banner

away many others of the Florida

delegation quickly raised Joe Biden

placards that said thank you Joe and we

love Joe to block any view of the banner

the protesting delegates who dropped the

banner were quickly escorted from the

convention floor by security we're going

to go to that moment inside the

convention on opening

night looking in the future

[Music]

[Applause]

get him out he's

her sir

sir sir we're trying to listen to the

president what are you

doing the only way

is protest what's your name sir sir

what's your name my name is leano Sharon

I'm a DNC delegate from

Michigan and what did you do today today

we held up a sign uh uh uh protesting

the murder of children in Gaza and the

continuing genocide watch the step watch

Step what did the sign

say it said stop stop arming Israel all

right thank you let's keep it going

watch get get tunnel you can interview

him in the tunnel okay and what happened

that I just don't want you to break your

ankles then uh the uh people behind us

grabbed a hold of the sign and tried to

rip it out of our hand several times

eventually they succeeded interview the

hall okay let's get him down come on all

right thanks for being cooperative sir

okay thank you and why did and why did

you do it I did that because we are we

we are currently funding a genocide and

we need to and it needs to stop and also

I want I want to uh I want to uh make it

clear uh to the Harris campaign that

this is actually in their interest

Netanyahu is trying to instigate a

larger War so he can remain in power and

avoid going to prison in order to move

Netanyahu off of his current position of

trying to expand the war in order to

stay in power and remain out of jail uh

we believe that that the US needs to

stop arming Israel needs to have an

embargo against against their um uh uh

against their genocide uh otherwise then

Yahoo isn't doesn't have the incentive

to stop the genocide to stop the mass

murder why does this matter to you so

much it matters to me so much because

I'm a Jew and I was always brought up to

believe that never again means never

again for anyone every anywhere ever

period and that's not what's happening

right now what's happening right now is

that we are we are continuing to fund

and support an ongoing genocide uh the

mass murder of children and it needs to

stop voices from inside the Democratic

National Convention Monday night during

President Biden's remarks special thanks

to Sam alov hanim massud and nuring

shake it was when three of the delegates

part of a group called delegates against

genocide dropped a banner that read stop

arming

Israel e