She’s vowed to lower drug costs, forgive student loans, and restore women’s right to reproductive healthcare. But, as Harris has yet to call for an arms embargo, or make any public commitments significantly distinct from Biden’s approach to the Israeli genocide, many “Uncommitted” and Arab-American voters in Philadelphia remain hesitant to place their hope in Harris.

On Saturday, Philadelphians gathered in the International Arrivals Hall at the Philadelphia International Airport to welcome Leyan Abu Alatta, a 13-year-old Palestinian girl who lost her leg when Israel bombed her home in Gaza. Abu Alatta arrived in Philadelphia with her mother, brought to the U.S. by Health, Education, Aid, and Leadership (HEAL) Palestine, a nonprofit humanitarian organization dedicated to providing healthcare and educational support to Palestinian youth. Abu Alatta will be treated at Shriners Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia, where she will receive an artificial leg and medical treatment for her injuries.

As pro-Palestine protests continue gaining momentum on college campuses around the world, primary and secondary school teachers, students, and families are bringing the fight for their right to teach about Palestine to the Philadelphia Board of Education. At yesterday’s public school board meeting, teachers, staff, and families concerned about the protection of free speech in school testified about their growing concern that the district has been mishandling discourse on Palestine in schools.

For Philadelphia-based novelist, Alison Glick, 61, the past six months of Israel’s bombardment of Gaza has been filled with fear and loss. Like many Palestinian Americans, Glick has been monitoring the news out of Gaza with bated breath. But Glick is not Palestinian. She’s an American Jew. Her ex-husband, a Palestinian, is currently trapped in Gaza under Israeli bombardment, along with a great deal of extended family and close friends.