Signs of the cease-fire movement are all around the Democratic National Convention, between protesters disrupting several events and “uncommitted” delegates in keffiyehs. But mentions of Gaza have been limited from the convention stage, including from the speaker most expected to spotlight the struggle: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. “She is working tirelessly to secure a cease-fire in Gaza and bringing the hostages home,” the Squad member said Monday night in championing Kamala Harris for president. By curious contrast, President Joe Biden devoted several more lines of his speech to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, saying protesters “have a point” and citing his administration’s work to “end this war.” Ocasio-Cortez’s remarks were otherwise laser-focused on the needs of working- and middle-class Americans. She returned to the theme today in Chicago when reporters asked about establishment Democrats embracing her, a DSA member who was on the fringes just a couple of years ago. “At the end of the day, my goal has always been to center the working class of New York City and New York State,” the Bronx Democrat said. Ocasio-Cortez appears to be staying a deliberate, pragmatic course that minimizes friction with party leaders — even as advocates stay the course in pressuring her to use her platform to condemn Israel’s offensive on Gaza. Zaha Hassan, a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said it was “disappointing” that Ocasio-Cortez and other speakers didn’t speak more forcefully on the issue. “We weren’t inspired by the hopeful message, given what’s going on abroad,” she said. Briahna Joy Gray, a former aide to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), lit into Ocasio-Cortez on X, saying, “It’s depressing to watch someone who said, a few years ago, that she and Biden shouldn’t be in the same party, try to have her ‘Obama DNC’ moment and ascend within the same corrupt party that’s currently underwriting a genocide.” Ocasio-Cortez has seen two of her fellow Squad members successfully primaried over their criticism of Israel, Reps. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) and Cori Bush (D-Mo.). Their losses were underwritten by AIPAC’s amply funded campaigns against them. She has no real reelection worries and she’s such a party darling that chants of “AOC” enveloped her Monday as she delivered her prime time convention speech. She even won praise from the centrist chair of the New York State Democrats, Jay Jacobs, this morning. “I thought AOC was outstanding last night,” he said. But the bigger her megaphone, the more the pressure from pro-Palestinian Democrats who are a part of her base. Ocasio-Cortez is feeling it from all sides. Ruby Chen, whose Israeli American son Itay was taken hostage and killed by Hamas in the Oct. 7 attacks, approached the House member at the New York Democratic delegation breakfast this morning to ask for a meeting. He said she was receptive and he told her, “We New Yorkers, we stand together.” — Emily Ngo, with Nicholas Wu | 
