CHICAGO (Michigan News Source) – With absentee ballots in Michigan going out in only 31 days, Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris is finding herself in the hot seat, caught between her support for Israel and the demands of a growing faction within her own party that is calling for a more radical approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including a permanent ceasefire and an end to transferring arms and funding to Israel.

Tensions hit a new peak recently after Palestinian-Americans were denied the opportunity to speak at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago concerning the war in Gaza. In response, a group of Democratic Uncommitted delegates have issued a new demand: Harris must meet with Arab-American and Muslim leaders in Michigan and elsewhere by September 15th – or face potential political fallout.

Support for Harris-Walz on the line.

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Political fallout is already happening though with the group “Muslim Women for Harris-Walz” announcing its disbandment, stating they could no longer “continue in good conscience” after their speaking demand was denied. The influential United Auto Workers union, which backs Harris, criticized the decision to exclude a Palestinian speaker at the convention, echoing concerns voiced by other politicians. In a statement, they had said, “If we want to win this election, the Democratic Party must allow a Palestinian American speaker to be heard from the DNC stage tonight.” But that didn’t happen.

The general “Uncommitted” movement has seen 700,000 voters nationwide cast Uncommitted protest votes in Democratic primaries, securing 30 delegates at the DNC. In Michigan’s Democratic presidential primary, there were over 100,000 Uncommitted voters who didn’t support the Biden-Harris ticket in February, resulting in 2 delegates for the state.

The Harris DNC speech.

During Harris’ speech at the DNC convention last week, she expressed her support of Israel, while still trying to balance the demands of the anti-Israel Democratic base. She said during her speech, “With respect to the war in Gaza, President Biden and I are working around the clock, because now is the time to get a hostage deal and a cease-fire deal done. And let me be clear. And let me be clear. I will always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself, and I will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself, because the people of Israel must never again face the horror that a terrorist organization called Hamas caused on Oct. 7, including unspeakable sexual violence and the massacre of young people at a music festival.”

After that statement, Harris immediately pivoted to the other side and said, “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.”

A growing rift within the party.

Thousands of anti-Israel Democrats protested outside the United Center in Chicago during the Democratic National Convention last week, with the largest turnout occurring on the first day with approximately 3,500 protesters.

Much of the media has portrayed the protests as mostly “peaceful” and “family friendly.” Others have reported on the arrests that were made the first day of the convention after protesters breached a security fence and on other days of the convention as they shut down streets, clashed with police and interrupted convention events. Arrests were also made at the Israeli consulate where “militant anti- imperialist movement” protesters gathered in an area without a permit.

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The protesters represent a faction within the Democratic Party that is deeply dissatisfied with the U.S. government’s continued support for Israel. These Uncommitted voters have made it clear that their support for Harris in the upcoming election hinges on her willingness to engage in meaningful dialogue with their communities and reconsider the administration’s stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

On the first day of the convention, Layla Elabed, a leader of the Uncommitted movement from Michigan and the sister of U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit), warned that failure to meet their demands could be disastrous for Harris’s campaign telling Politico, ”She is at risk of losing key swing states, especially in states like Michigan, where we have the largest concentration of Arab Americans and Muslim Americans – people who know firsthand the effects and the impact of American-funded bombing.”

The stakes are high.

Michigan, a crucial swing state, boasts a significant Arab-American and Muslim population, particularly in and around Dearborn. Their support for the Democratic Party in November – or lack thereof – could have a decisive impact on Harris’s chances of winning the state, and by extension, the presidency.

While these voters are not eager to see former President Donald Trump return to the White House, they are also not willing to support a candidate who they feel is ignoring their concerns.

Although the Uncommitted group was denied a speaking slot at the convention, a move that some in the movement called “stupid” and an “error,” the group was able to host a Palestinian rights panel at a hall in the convention earlier in the week with Elabed and others. However, these small victories have done little to quell the dissatisfaction among pro-Palestinian Democrats, who see Harris’s stance, and the national Democratic Party, as out of step with the broader public opinion within the party.

That was seen at the Democratic State Convention over the weekend in Lansing, Michigan. As Michigan News Source recently reported, a Muslim woman heckled Jewish University of Michigan regent Jordan Acker during the singing of the National Anthem. Additionally, a U of M Regent candidate, who previously defended pro-Hamas protesters, faced a loss. Her supporters, doubting the integrity of the vote, were overheard vowing, “In November, we’ll remember.”

A deadline looms.

With the September 15th deadline set for for Harris to meet with Arab-American and Muslim leaders, it’s unclear exactly what actions the group will take if their demands are not met before the early and absentee voting begins in Michigan and around the country but the implication is clear: Harris could lose critical support from these communities, which could be devastating in a tightly contested election.