Delegates and other activists at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago made clear to Newsmax on Monday they were not happy with the strong pro-Israel plank in their party's national platform.
This could clear spell out problems for Vice President Kamala Harris, who has yet to spell out any differences between herself and outgoing President Joe Biden on the situation in the Middle East.
The 92-page party manifesto was released on the Sunday before the convention opened and then passed by voice vote of the full convention barely 24 hours later. As if it were crafted before Biden's retirement announcement last month, the platform makes reference to a second Biden term, has strong praise for his record, and says next-to-nothing about what Harris would do as president.
But by far, the most controversial portion of the document was its language of support for Israel in no uncertain terms. It hailed the U.S. commitment to Israel's security and right to defend itself "ironclad," and underscored that "the United States stands with Israel in its quest for peace and security. [Biden] has also defended Israel at the U.N. against one-sided efforts to condemn Israel."
"I certainly hope Kamala takes a different course," Dahlia Eltoumi, a Democrat activist from the Bay Area of California and herself a Palestinian, told Newsmax, specifically voicing hope that Harris condemns what she called genocide by Israel against Palestinians.
"And I hope she takes a different course [from Biden] before she loses key voting blocs in important states and before she loses the support of many of her supporters," added Eltoumi.
Ginny Stogner McDavid of Houston, Texas said that "many Democrats are disappointed in the platform because it doesn't go far enough."
By this, she said, the document should endorse "not giving aid to countries violating [the rulings of] International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice [both of whom have ruled that Israel is in major violation of international law in its occupation of Palestinian territory]."
She explained that under the Leahy Law enacted by the Congress, it is also a violation of U.S. law to give aide to countries violating international law.
McDavid noted that earlier this year she helped the fight at the Texas Democratic Convention to adopt the language of the Jerusalem Declaration defining antisemitism over that of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, which, in her words, "has a much broader definition of antisemitism.
"The Jerusalem Declaration was written by scholars and academics and is more specific in defining antisemitism," McDavid added.
Wearing a "Palestinian Rights" scarf, Delegate Brenda Martin told us, "I support human rights and it is a gross violation of human rights when thousands are attacked [in Palestinian territory] and food is denied to people. You don't have to be antisemitic to believe that."
Clearly, there is a sharp difference over the Middle East and Israel between the Democrat powers and grass-roots activists attending the convention. As to how Kamala Harris deals with that difference could be one of her first major challenges as the Democrat presidential nominee.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
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