DNC Chair Frontrunner Says Convention Should Have Featured Pro-Hamas Activist

Ben Wikler, a top candidate for DNC chairman, told the Jewish Insider a pro-Hamas activist should have been allowed to speak at the Democratic National Convention in August.

Wikler said that “featuring a voice like” Palestinian Georgia State Rep. Ruwa Romman, who was championed by the anti-Israel “Uncommitted” movement and has a record of pro-Hamas comments, “would have conveyed the strength and unity of purpose of the Democratic Party.”

The “Uncommitted” movement, which began in Michigan as a protest of President Joe Biden’s support for Israel in its war against Hamas terrorists, staged a sit-in outside the Chicago convention after the party denied Romman a speaking slot. The group advocated for an Israeli arms embargo and a permanent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Wikler, who serves as Wisconsin’s Democratic Party chairman, told the Insider he is in favor of a “big-tent” approach that ensures “the voices of all different parts of our coalition unite around our nominee.”

“There’s always going to be disagreement within a big-tent party. At the same time, knowing that we are deeply committed to ensuring that there’s a future of safety and security and peace for Israelis and Palestinians alike is a core value that unites Democrats,” said Wikler, who is Jewish and helped start his state party’s Jewish caucus.