In the days leading up to the 2024 Democratic National Convention, the talk was of a convention from another year — 1968.

Mention of that year strikes fear in the heart of any Democrat. That was the year where massive protests, fuelled by anger against the Vietnam War, led to clashes with police in the streets outside the convention in Chicago, Illinois.

Hubert Humphrey, vice president to Lyndon Johnson, was nominated under a cloud. Johnson himself could have run again but chose not to. Humphrey would go on to lose the election to Richard Nixon.

1968 redux?

Over 50 years later, the Democratic Party once again convened in Chicago to elect another vice president instead of the incumbent who had decided not to run.

Once again, protests were planned for another war, the one in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.

There were campus protests in response to massive civilian casualties in Gaza, with heightened tensions in the U.S. over the past few months.

The protesters railed against President Joe Biden's support of Israel and its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, demanding first a ceasefire and then an arms embargo to Israel.

The circumstances seemed ripe for another 1968. As many as 40,000 were expected to turn up.

Instead, the number was more like 4,000. While the protesters made their voices heard, they did not disrupt the smooth process of the convention.

Kamala Harris and Tim Walz were nominated as the standard bearers of the Democratic Party, boosted by speeches of support from celebrities, fellow politicians and party elders like Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

Gaza raised in the convention centre

Still, the party could not afford to ignore the issue altogether. More left-leaning politicians, like Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders, called for a ceasefire and an end to the mass killing of civilians.

But they also emphasised the importance of freeing the hostages still held by Hamas after the terror attacks of Oct. 7, 2023 and to bring them home.

This was embodied by the speaking appearance of Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg, the parents of a 23-year-old still held captive by Hamas, on the third day of the convention.

While the parents pleaded for their son to be freed, they also called for peace in Gaza.

This appeared to be the approach settled on by the party. Biden got the ball rolling by saying the protesters "have a point".

And when it came time for Harris to make her acceptance speech, Gaza was addressed too.

@mothershipsg The three Democrats were speaking on the first night of the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois. In her speech, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said that Kamala Harris, incumbent vice president of the United States and presumptive presidential candidate for the Democratic Party, is working “tirelessly” to secure a ceasefire in Gaza. #fyp #joebiden #alexandriaocasiocortez #raphaelwarnock #democrats ♬ original sound - Mothership

Kamala Harris calls for Palestinian 'self-determination'

She began by reminding the audience that she and Biden are "working around the clock" on brokering a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas that would see the hostages return home.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken was recently in Qatar where negotiations were taking place, although a final deal remains elusive.

Harris then said:

"I will always stand up for Israel's right to defend itself and I will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself, because the people of Israel must never again face the horror that the terrorist organisation called Hamas caused on Oct. 7, including unspeakable sexual violence and the massacre of young people at a music festival."

But she also mentioned the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza:

"At the same time, what has happened in Gaza over the past 10 months is devastating. So many innocent lives lost, desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety over and over again, the scale of suffering is heartbreaking.

President Biden and I are working to end this war such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends and the Palestinian people can realise their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination."

This is a remarkable step, if you're not familiar with American politics.

Backing Israel is nothing new for American politicians, from either party.

But Harris's commitment as a presidential nominee to self-determination for the Palestinians went further than Biden did in his own speech, albeit stopping short of calling for an independent Palestinian state.

It was not all smooth-sailing, with protesters and uncommitted party delegates demanding an arms embargo in addition to a ceasefire, warning the party that their votes could not be taken for granted.

But it appears that Harris and her party have succeeded in threading the needle on Gaza, at least for now.

Harris has overtaken her opponent, Donald Trump (who said Israel needs to "finish what they started" in Gaza) in a number of national polls, setting the stage for a close race in November.

Top image from Kamala Harris's Facebook page.