U.S. pro-Palestinian group not endorsing Harris over Israel-Hamas war concerns

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris (C) speaks during an event celebrating the 2023-2024 National Collegiate Athletic Association championship teams on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, on July 22, 2024. (Xinhua/Hu Yousong)

"Vice President Harris's unwillingness to shift on unconditional weapons policy or to even make a clear campaign statement in support of upholding existing U.S. and international human rights law has made it impossible for us to endorse her," the Uncommitted National Movement said.

NEW YORK, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. national pro-Palestinian group, the Uncommitted National Movement, announced in a statement Thursday that it will not endorse Vice President Kamala Harris, and will call for votes against former President Donald Trump in the meantime.

"At the conclusion of our historic sit-in at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Uncommitted National Movement leaders asked Vice President Harris to respond by September 15 to requests to meet with Palestinian American families in Michigan who lost loved ones to U.S.-supplied bombs in Gaza and to discuss our demands for halting arms to the Israeli government and securing a permanent ceasefire," said the group, noting that Harris' campaign has failed to address these requests.

"Vice President Harris's unwillingness to shift on unconditional weapons policy or to even make a clear campaign statement in support of upholding existing U.S. and international human rights law has made it impossible for us to endorse her," the group added.

The Uncommitted National Movement said it will continue advocating for lifesaving policy change to end the bombing of Gaza and end U.S. support for the Israeli military's war crimes.

While the group won't endorse Vice President Harris "at this time," it still "opposes a Donald Trump presidency, whose agenda includes plans to accelerate the killing in Gaza while intensifying the suppression of anti-war organizing."

In addition, the group said it "is not recommending a third-party vote in the Presidential election, especially as third party votes in key swing states could help inadvertently deliver a Trump presidency given our country's broken electoral college system."

The group, aimed mainly to pressure the U.S. government to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza amid ongoing Israel-Hamas war, started in the U.S. state of Michigan with large Arab-American and Muslim populations during the Democratic presidential primaries this year.

The group said on its website that it achieved over 700,000 uncommitted votes across the nation, with 30 Uncommitted delegates brought to the Democratic National Convention (DNC), and over 300 Ceasefire Delegates at the DNC, which was held last month.

Harris is scheduled to appear at a campaign event on Thursday in Michigan, which is a key battleground state in this year's race to the White House.