Muslim Women for Harris disbands after Palestinian speaking slot denied at DNC

Aug. 22 (UPI) -- Muslim Women for Harris-Walz disbanded after a request from the uncommitted movement to give a Palestinian American a speaking slot at the Democratic National Convention was denied.

Leaders of the 30 uncommitted delegates at the Democratic convention have called on Vice President Harris and the Democratic Party to commit to an arms embargo. The group formed during the Democratic primaries, urging people to vote "uncommitted" to deny then-Democratic candidate President Joe Biden their support.

"We cannot in good conscience continue Muslim Women for Harris-Walz, in light of this new information from the uncommitted movement, that VP Harris' team declined their request to have a Palestinian American speaker take the stage at the DNC," the group said in a statement after Wednesday night's convention program ended.

The Harris-Walz campaign did respond to media requests for comment.

The convention included speeches Wednesday by Jonathan Dekel-Chen, whose son Sagui is a hostage in Gaza , and the parents of the Israeli American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin.

Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg called for a cease-fire deal and an end to "the suffering of the innocent people in Gaza."

"The family of the Israeli hostage that was on the stage tonight, has shown more empathy towards Palestinian Americans and Palestinians, than our candidate or the DNC," the group Muslim Women for Harris-Walz said in its statement.

"This is a terrible message to send to Democrats. Palestinians have the right to speak about Palestine."

The statement concluded: "We pray that the DNC and VP Harris' team makes the right decision before this convention is over. For the sake of each of us."

Some Democrats supported a Palestinian speaker, including members of the progressive group of House lawmakers known as "the Squad" who appeared at a sit-in outside the United Center.

That included U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, who spoke during the first night of the convention.

During her speech , she praised the Biden administration's response to the war in Gaza and condemned Israel's actions as an "unfolding genocide."Pro-Palestine gatherings organized on the streets of Chicago.

Waleed Shahid, a movement founder, said during a news conference on Thursday that the Democratic Party senior campaign officials had offered to meet with them but had not offered a speaking slot.

"What happened at the DNC last night was one of the most humiliating experiences of my life," Shahid said about denial of a speaking slot.

On Oct. 5, Hamas 's attack on Israel killed some 1,200 people. Israeli military responded and killed more than 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza, most of whom are women and children, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.

On Monday , U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accepted a cease-fire deal. Hamas has not responded.

The United States has been pushing for both sides to come to a cease-fire and hostage-release deal since President Joe Biden unveiled it in May.

That plan called for an initial six-week cease-fire in which Israeli forces would withdraw from all populated areas of Gaza and women, children and elderly hostages would be released and Palestinian prisoners freed. In phase two, all remaining hostages would be freed, Israel would complete its military withdrawal and commit to a lasting truce. Phase three would include the repatriation of dead hostages, Gaza reconstruction and joint U.S.-Arab nation efforts to prevent Hamas rearming.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is a big supporter of Israel.

Netanyahu and Trump met at Mar-a-Lago on July 26.