From the Liveblog of
Friday, August 23, 2024
Israeli diplomat hails platform adopted by DNC, decision not to platform Palestinian representative
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
CHICAGO — An Israeli diplomat at the Democratic National Convention hails the platform adopted by the party this week along with organizers’ decision not to offer a speaker slot to a representative of the Palestinian-American community.
“There was a lot of concern and many warnings issued about how the more progressive, anti-Israel voices within the party would be strongly represented both in the protests outside and inside the convention hall and that they would succeed in influencing the Democratic Party’s platform. Until now that has not happened,” says the Israeli diplomat in a briefing with reporters on the sidelines of the DNC.
“The organizers of the convention intelligently made an effort not to listen to cave to these voices,” the diplomat says.
“Until now, the convention has projected unity, rather than division on these issues, which also aren’t central to the agenda here,” the official says, acknowledging that there is still one more night of programming left.
“We were told about 100,000 people coming here to protest, but only 5,000 — 10,000 people tops ultimately showed up,” the Israeli diplomat says, adding that the demonstrators did not manage to disrupt the convention.
The official highlights the “warm and supportive reception” Democratic delegates gave American-Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s parents when they spoke last night at the convention.
A super moving moment at the DNC tonight when the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin who is held hostage by Hamas in Gaza started their speech. Tens of thousands of people started chanting "bring them home" pic.twitter.com/Qtr9O0kQDE
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) August 22, 2024
“All of the efforts by the anti-Israel camp to include a speaker who would ‘balance’ things did not succeed until now, and a speaker of this kind hasn’t been platformed until now. This was a smart decision by the convention organizers.” the Israeli diplomat says.
The diplomat characterizes the Israel section of the platform adopted by the DNC as “very positive.”
The platform touts an “ironclad” commitment to Israel’s security and support for a two-state solution.
