Pro-Palestinian activists threatened to withhold votes in Philly just before Kamala Harris talked about Gaza at CNN’s town hall in Delco

Vice President Kamala Harris fielded questions about the Israel-Hamas war and rising antisemitism at a Wednesday town hall in Delaware County hours after more than 100 protesters gathered in front of the Philadelphia Democrats headquarters demanding that Harris publicly commit to an arms embargo on Israel to get their vote.

“I do believe we have an opportunity to end this war, bring the hostages home, bring relief to the Palestinian people, and work toward a two-state solution where Israel and the Palestinians in equal measure have security, where the Palestinian people have dignity, self-determination, and the safety that they so rightly deserve,” Harris said at the CNN town hall when asked about the rising death toll in Gaza.

Israel’s escalating war in the Middle East has become impossible to ignore in Pennsylvania with only 12 days left before Election Day and the race in a dead heat in the critical swing state, which both candidates see as critical to their path to victory.

For former President Donald Trump and Harris, Jewish and pro-Israel voters and the young voters who have become the face of the pro-Palestinian movement on college campuses could strengthen the coalitions they need to win the state.

“This is a voting issue for many voters in key swing states, and we’re putting pressure on her to take action now before it’s too late,” said Reem Abuelhaj, 30, a Palestinian American teacher who lives in Philadelphia and spoke for the #NoCeasefireNoVote campaign at the rally outside the Philadelphia Democratic Party offices Wednesday night. Abuelhaj said that the only other condition that would get her to vote for Harris is if there’s a permanent cease-fire secured by President Joe Biden’s administration.

Just days before Harris’ appearance, an ad for Trump that aired across the region featured women at a local deli talking about antisemitism and how “Israel is under attack.”

“I never voted Republican in my life, but I am voting Trump,” one woman says. “Amen,” say the others. Separate and contradictory GOP-funded ads aimed at Pennsylvania voters have framed Harris both as a friend and foe to Israel, depending on the target audience.

Meanwhile, at the Delaware County town hall, Harris said that laws should be put in place to deter antisemitic hate crimes and that college students need to feel safe at school. She drew attention to reports of Trump praising Adolf Hitler.

In an interview with the National Association of Black Journalists in Philadelphia last month, Harris reiterated her support for a cease-fire and hostage return deal. She has said she supports Israel’s right to defend itself, but how it does so matters.

“I support Israel’s ability to defend itself, and I support the need for Palestinians to have dignity, self-determination, and security as we move forward and get a two-state deal done,” she said in the Philadelphia interview.

Trump has repeatedly claimed that there wouldn’t have been a war in Gaza if he was president and has said he would end the war without saying how.

Trump’s campaign did not comment on his stance on an arms embargo for Israel, but Trump called himself Israel’s “protector” last month.

Tuesday’s protest represents a broader split that’s formed among pro-Palestinian activists who were aligned during the Democratic primary earlier this year and now have different strategies for the general election.

The Uncommitted National Movement — which led the effort that resulted in hundreds of thousands of votes against Biden in primaries across the country — declined to endorse Harris over continued concerns about Gaza. But the group still encouraged people to vote against Trump and discouraged third party voting over the concern it could help Trump win — effectively encouraging a vote for Harris without outright saying it.

Abandon Harris (formerly Abandon Biden), initially avoided endorsing a candidate but has since endorsed Green Party candidate Jill Stein. Leaders of Abandon Harris previously disagreed about Trump, so Rabiul Chowdhury, a former cochair of the group, started a new group this week called Muslims for Trump. Chowdhury, 29, of Ardmore, sits on Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s AAPI Affairs Council.

“We are not the Abandon Harris campaign,” Abuelhaj said of the #NoCeasefireNoVote initiative, which mirrors similar efforts in Georgia and Wisconsin. “We are not abandoning Harris. We are holding her accountable to her base who want to see an end to this genocide.”

An Arab American Institute Poll found that Biden’s handling of the crisis in Gaza has eroded Arab American support. While Harris regained much of the support Biden lost after Oct. 7, 2023, she’s still 18 points behind Biden’s 2020 support from Arab American voters. Now, Trump and Harris are virtually tied among these voters.

Nasrina Bargzie, the director of Muslim and Arab American Outreach for Harris’ campaign, said in a statement that the vice president “is committed to work to earn every vote,” but also did not comment on the prospect of an arms embargo, though a senior adviser said in August that Harris does not support one.

“Throughout her career, Vice President Harris has been steadfast in her support of our country’s diverse Muslim community, including ensuring that they can live free from the hateful policies of the Trump administration,” Bargzie said. “She will continue working to bring the war in Gaza to an end in a way where Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination.”

Harris is also working to de-escalate and stabilize Lebanon and the region, Bargzie said.

Jonny Rashid, 38, an Egyptian American Philadelphia-based Mennonite pastor who spoke at the Wednesday rally, said that he believes some of the rally goers will end up voting for Harris even if she doesn’t change course, but it won’t come with an enthusiasm that could be more effective for Democrats.

“I’m queer. I know the threat that Trump poses to trans people and people like me,” Rashid, who said he has always voted for Democrats, said in an interview.

“My call is for Kamala Harris to see the situation she’s putting us in. Don’t make us choose between the rights of ourselves and the genocide. … Why should we have to make the morally compromising choice, when she should do the moral thing?” he added.

Leslie Kavasch, 32, a Philadelphia resident who works at a hospitality company and held a banner at the protest, said in an interview that she also sees ramifications of a Trump presidency for immigrants and LGBTQ people. She said that while she’s upset about Harris’ stances, she hopes activists can continue to advocate for an arms embargo under a Harris presidency instead of a Trump one.

She said she wishes there was a box to check on the ballot for a reluctant vote for Harris.

“He is very clear in the fact that he will make things worse than she will,” Kavasch said. “Yet I will never give unwavering support to her.”