Kamala Harris has quietly reached out to pro-Palestinian activists and prominent progressive Democrats over the past year, signaling a deliberate effort to repair fractured relationships on the left as she positions herself for a potential 2028 presidential bid.
The outreach represents a notable shift in approach after Harris distanced herself from Biden's Middle East policy during the 2024 campaign, when many pro-Palestinian organizers felt rejected and ultimately refused to back her. Harris privately called New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani last week to discuss the party's future and plan a follow-up conversation. The call came two days after Mamdani's hand-picked slate swept three congressional races in New York City, ousting sitting incumbents.
The engagement extends well beyond Mamdani. Harris met last week in Detroit with Abbas Alawieh, a co-founder of the Uncommitted Movement that mobilized opposition to Biden's Gaza policy. Alawieh, who is now running as a Democrat for Michigan state Senate, said Harris initiated the encounter after months of private conversations.
During their meeting, Alawieh conveyed concerns from constituents he is seeking to represent who have lost family members in Israeli airstrikes supported by U.S. funding. "American tax dollars should never be used to target civilians or destroy entire communities," he told Harris, according to his account to Axios.
Harris has also been in recent contact with James Zogby, a longtime Democratic National Committee member and advocate for Palestinian rights.
The timing of these conversations matters. In 2024, Harris's campaign rejected a request from pro-Palestinian delegates to include a Palestinian American speaker at the Democratic National Convention. Many activists then split on whether to support her, with some ultimately voting for her while harboring resentment over the exclusion.
Harris herself disclosed in her 2025 book "107 Days" that she had privately urged Biden to demonstrate greater empathy toward Palestinian civilians killed in Gaza. She recounted Biden's inability to move beyond describing himself as a Zionist, noting that his remarks about Palestinians struck her as "inadequate and forced." She also acknowledged frustration with pro-Palestinian protesters disrupting her campaign events, writing that the issue was not binary but the election outcome certainly was.
This historical record now undercuts Harris's current outreach efforts. Rania Batrice, a progressive strategist and Palestinian American, expressed skepticism about whether Harris would be willing to make concrete concessions. "Why should we trust her now?" Batrice said. "If this change is real, she has an opportunity to prove it. Until then, skepticism isn't just understandable, it's warranted."
Democratic strategist Patrick Gaspard, who has credibility among some progressive voices, defended Harris's position, arguing she expressed genuine concerns about the lack of empathy for Palestinians within the Biden administration and continues to seek perspectives from beyond official channels.
The broader political context shapes Harris's calculations. She remains competitive in early 2028 Democratic primary polling but faces skepticism from left, center, and donor communities alike. Her policy record has proven inconsistent: she campaigned as a progressive in 2020, embracing Bernie Sanders' Medicare for All proposal, before distancing herself from several positions by 2024.
If Harris runs, she will not inherit an uncontested field. Many Democrats remain unconvinced of her electability following 2024. Yet in parts of the country, particularly the South where early primary contests prove critical, Harris continues to draw strong grassroots enthusiasm.
Beyond Gaza, Harris's team has engaged with progressives on other policy areas including China, artificial intelligence, and Venezuela, according to people familiar with those discussions.
Author James Rodriguez: "Harris is betting that activists with short memories outnumber those keeping score, but pro-Palestinian Democrats remember every broken promise from last cycle."
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