Open Rift Exposes Democrats’ Fierce Debate on Israel

The emotional divisions between Democrats on the issue of Israeli-Palestinian relations have been brought to public attention in recent weeks as prominent lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have engaged in a back-and-forth about the future of the region. This debate has been fueled by the recent conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants. In response, President Joe Biden has expressed his support for Israel and its right to self-defense, while at the same time calling for an end to the violence and emphasizing the need for a two-state solution. However, some Democrats have taken a more vocal stance, urging the Biden administration to condemn recent Israeli actions, while also pressing the president to take more decisive diplomatic action. This divide was highlighted over the weekend when Democratic Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York released a tweet criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for spurning a ceasefire, a move she argued could have been avoided. In response, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland fired back, saying that Israel had also been subject to rocket fire from Hamas and that her words put US and Israeli lives at risk. This was met with a strong rebuttal from Ocasio-Cortez and her supporters , the majority of which are from the progressive wing of the party. What has become clear is that the strong disagreements that have emerged in the Democratic ranks will continue to be an issue heading into the 2022 midterm elections. This faultline has been the subject of much debate and is being seen as a litmus test for who is more in line with the progressive views of younger Democrats and the alignment more moderate figures have with the traditional stance of US and Israeli relations. No matter what the outcome may be, this emotional debate amongst Democrats has shed light on the deep divisions that have slowly been brewing between various factions of the Democratic party. It is not yet clear how those divisions may end up reshaping the party’s policy on the issue of Israeli-Palestinian affairs but there is no denying that the recent conversation on the matter has brought the emotional tensions between Democrats to the forefront of the public discourse.