At Democratic Party convention, Israel-Hamas war divides progressives and moderates

Hundreds of California Democrats gathered in the capital this weekend for the state party’s endorsement convention, but one topic disrupted the entire event: The ongoing conflict in the Middle East, and how party leaders are responding to it.

The Israel-Hamas war has deepened a preexisting schism in the Democratic Party between centrist moderates (who tend to support Israel) and younger, more diverse progressives urging party leaders to call for a cease-fire in the region. At the 2023 California Democratic Party November State Endorsing Convention in Sacramento this weekend, that schism was more apparent than ever.

“I don’t stand up for Palestine because I’m Muslim,” Fatima Iqbal-Zubair, chair of the California Democratic Party Progressive Caucus, said to a nearly full meeting hall on Friday night. “I stand up for it because I stand up for all human rights.”

The Progressive Caucus devoted its Friday night meeting to a panel on the Israel-Hamas War, which started after Hamas, the militant group that governs Palestine’s Gaza Strip, attacked Israel on Oct. 7. The Israeli military reports 1,300 deaths and hundreds of abductions. In the weeks since, Israel has responded with force, killing an estimated 11,400 Palestinians.

“As progressives, if we don’t center the most vulnerable among us every single time in every single situation and have deep empathy and compassion, then we are somewhat complicit in that oppression for not speaking up, for not saying something, for enabling innocence to die,” Iqual-Zubair said.

Senate candidate forum disrupted by cease-fire protest

Protesters of the Israeli military’s actions made their presence known Saturday, first via a sit-in during the convention’s general session, then by storming the building and shutting the event down altogether.

During the general session, U.S. Senate hopefuls sought to earn the state party’s endorsement. Reps. Adam Schiff, Katie Porter, and Barbara Lee are all hoping to earn a seat in the Senate in 2024 to replace newly-appointed Sen. Laphonza Butler. During the session, around 100 demonstrators chanted just outside the convention ballroom, where hundreds of delegates heard Schiff, Porter, Lee and long-shot candidate Lexi Reese speak.

“We will not let our grief be weaponized,” said Ayelet Hashachar, a Jewish organizer of the the sit-in. “It’s time for Dems to pick a side: Cease-fire or genocide.”

A small group of protesters from the sit-in disrupted Porter and Schiff’s closing remarks during a candidate forum, chanting “Cease-fire now.” The two Southern California representatives have yet to call for a cease-fire, and have both been criticized by progressives in the party for supporting Israel at the cost of Palestinian lives.

“I have heard you,” Porter said when protesters interrupted her. “I would ask you to please allow me to speak.”

A larger group entered the convention ballroom from the lobby during Reese’s closing remarks and continued chanting until she finished talking. During the interruptions, California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks urged demonstrators to let the candidates have their time.

“Every candidate has a right to be heard,” he said.

After protesters continued to drown out Reese’s remarks, Hicks unsuccessfully tried to start an “Organize to win” chant and shift attendees’ focus toward 2024.

But the demonstrators continued with their protest, and the forum ended as organizers played loud music to cover their voices.

Progressive support for Barbara Lee

Lee was the only candidate protesters did not interrupt, and she received a warm welcome from the crowd, many of whom waved yellow and green signs and chanted, “Barbara Lee speaks for me.”

Lee ended her remarks by calling for a cease-fire, drawing cheers from the crowd.

Basem Manneh, a delegate from San Francisco County, said he “never expected anything like this,” after protesters entered the meeting hall. He thought they may gather outside, but not indoors. Manneh, whose parents are Palestinian refugees, said attendees wanted to hear candidates’ thoughts on the conflict and the United States’ response. He thought the candidates who didn’t mention it maybe found it too formidable to bring it up when the moderators didn’t raise the question.

“Both deserve to live in peace,” he said of the conflict. “I don’t see it ending anytime soon.”

Manneh said he is a Lee supporter, although he also likes Schiff. He compared the congresswoman to a veteran basketball player trying to rally teammates in the locker room.

“Players are going to listen to him,” Manneh said. “People are going to listen to her.”

Early election results from the endorsing caucuses show that they certainly are: Lee, who has been trailing behind Schiff and Porter in the polls and in donations, came out ahead on Saturday. She received 41.47% of votes, where Schiff followed close by with 40.18%; Porter received just 16.06%.

In a statement after the session, Hicks blamed “a small number of non-Delegate protesters” for disrupting it.

“They were heard and following a closing statement by the final candidate, the program was concluded and all attendees exited the venue,” he said.

Many protesters were delegates, though, who see the conflict in the Middle East as an opportunity for the party to do right by its younger members — members who say it’s not just disheartening, but an injustice, to watch their government repeatedly fail on medicare-for-all policies or student loan forgiveness, only to invest billions of dollars of military aid for Israel.

Lee, they say, is the best representation of their social justice interests.

“This is the future of the party,” said Keane Chukwuneta, a delegate from Oakland, as he pointed to the diverse, young protesters staging the sit-in on Saturday.

“When you see this, it’s people trying to pierce the bubble that exists within the party. We’re still here — our perspective is real, and it matters, and we have spent considerable amount of time and energy getting people elected all across the state, and we’re trying to get this ship to turn and it’s not listening to us. It’s a matter of which side the Democratic Party wants to be on.”

“I am a part of the community that’s been deeply affected by what’s happening,” said Sidra Nawaz, a student at Sacramento State and a registered Democrat who participated in the sit-in.

“I want to show support for Palestinians and people who are suffering right now, whose families are dying. I’m a Democrat, and I pay to be a part of this party, paid to be here today. But our elected officials aren’t listening to us ... we are sitting in today to make sure they hear us.”

She said she too supports Lee’s senate bid.

Many others who’ve been organizing for years with the Democratic Party also support ceasefire and the people of Palestine.

“I haven’t seen anything like this,” said San Mateo Democrat Elsa Schafer, who wore a Barbara Lee button and a sticker that read, “Palestinian Lives Matter.”

“It’s giving me chills,” she said. “We can’t just wait until there’s no one left to save (in Gaza), we have to fight this now.”

Later, after several hours of marching and protesting around the convention center, protesters were able to storm the center itself.

All events, including the Dems for Israel CA and Arab American Caucuses, were subsequently canceled.