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Democratic Party Platform Takes Pro-Israel Stance Amid Rising Internal Opposition to Jewish State
US President Joe Biden and Democratic presidential candidate and US Vice President Kamala Harris react onstage at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois, US, Aug. 19, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
The 2024 US Democratic Party platform took a strong pro-Israel stance despite rising opposition to the Jewish state from the progressive wing of the party.
“President [Joe] Biden and Vice President [Kamala] Harris believe a strong, secure, and democratic Israel is vital to the interests of the United States. Their commitment to Israel’s security, its qualitative military edge, its right to defend itself, and the 2016 Memorandum of Understanding is ironclad,” the platform reads.
The document’s tone and content was a striking change in comparison to the direction in which the Democratic Party has moved in recent months on the issue of support for Israel. During his speech on the first night of the Democratic National Convention (DNC), for example, Biden said the anti-Israel protesters outside the convention falsely accusing the Jewish state of genocide “have a point.”
Over the past 10 months, since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October, anti-Israel protests have become routine across the US, with chants in favor of a violent “intifada,” demonstrators waving flags of of US-designated terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah, and pro-Hamas graffiti desecrating federal property.
Many progressive activists have supported, organized, and participated in such demonstrations, accusing Israel of committing war crimes during its ongoing military campaign in Hamas-ruled Gaza and demanding the US cease all support to its closest ally in the Middle East. Some left-wing groups have tried to persuade voters not to support Biden or Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, over the Biden administration’s support for the Jewish state.
Amid such pressure, a growing number of prominent, mainstream Democrats have in recent months made unprecedented statements against Israel, such as calling to condition Washington’s military aid to its democratic ally.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration, while rhetorically opposed to Hamas staying in power and supportive of Israel’s right to self-defense, has adopted a much tougher posture toward the Jewish state, even pausing certain arms shipments.
Nevertheless, the Democratic Party’s platform emphasized that “Biden traveled to Israel — the first US president to do so at a time of war — in the days after Oct. 7 [when Hamas invaded Israel and launched the war] to demonstrate that the United States stands with Israel in its quest for peace and security. He has also defended Israel at the UN against one-sided efforts to condemn Israel.”
Many members of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party were unhappy with the language in the platform. Ryan Grim, a co-host of the popular internet show “Counter Points,” lamented, “The platform released today reads as if AIPAC wrote it.”
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, better known by its acronym AIPAC, is the foremost pro-Israel lobbying organization in the US.
Grim also wrote, on X/Twitter, “Pretty incredible — though totally believable — that the final DNC platform has a one-side condemnation of sexual violence, and it’s aimed at Hamas, even as the Knesset [Israeli parliament] engages in a full-throated debate as to whether the acknowledged rape of Palestinian detainees is ok [sic] or not.”
The platform also discussed the importance of a ceasefire in Gaza and efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the war-torn enclave.
“President Biden has also been determined to broker an immediate and lasting ceasefire deal that once finalized secures the return of all hostages, including the remaining Americans held in Gaza; addresses the immense civilian pain and extreme suffering being caused by the conflict, including the displacement and death of so many innocent people in Gaza; results in a durable end to the war in Gaza; and sets the stage for a lasting regional peace,” the document said.
The platform highlighted the administration’s efforts “to surge and ensure the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people.” It continued: “Many vulnerable civilians are suffering deadly consequences of the Israel-Hamas war. Residents of Gaza have been displaced, and food insecurity has been severe.”
Meanwhile, the platform opposed the annexation of territory in the West Bank and the expansion of Israeli settlements — for which some far-right members of Israel’s government are pushing. Additionally, it said the Democratic Party supports a diplomatic solution to the ongoing conflict in Israel’s north “that would ensure the return of both Israeli and Lebanese families to their homes.”
Hezbollah, the powerful Iran-backed terrorist group in Lebanon, has been bombarding northern Israel with drones, missiles, and rockets daily since October, forcing some 80,000 Israelis to evacuate their homes.
The platform expressed strong support for a two-state solution to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Israeli leaders have argued now is not the time to push for the establishment of a Palestinian state, noting Gaza is ruled by Hamas while the West Bank is governed by the Palestinian Authority (PA), which has long been riddled with allegations of corruption and authoritarianism.
Recent polling has found that the Palestinian people in both Gaza and the West Bank generally support the Oct. 7 massacre, want Hamas to remain in power in Gaza, and would back Hamas over the PA’s ruling Fatah party in elections.
The post Democratic Party Platform Takes Pro-Israel Stance Amid Rising Internal Opposition to Jewish State first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Lebanon Must Disarm Hezbollah to Have a Shot at Better Days, Says US Envoy
Thomas Barrack at the Brooklyn Federal Courthouse in Brooklyn, New York, U.S., November 4, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo
i24 News – Lebanon’s daunting social, economic and political issues would not get resolved unless the state persists in the efforts to disarm Hezbollah, the Iranian proxy behind so much of the unrest and destruction, special US envoy Tom Barrack told The National.
“You have Israel on one side, you have Iran on the other, and now you have Syria manifesting itself so quickly that if Lebanon doesn’t move, it’s going to be Bilad Al Sham again,” he said, using the historical Arabic name for the region sometimes known as “larger Syria.”
The official stressed the need to follow through on promises to disarm the Iranian proxy, which suffered severe blows from Israel in the past year, including the elimination of its entire leadership, and is considered a weakened though still dangerous jihadist outfit.
“There are issues that we have to arm wrestle with each other over to come to a final conclusion. Remember, we have an agreement, it was a great agreement. The problem is, nobody followed it,” he told The National.
Barrack spoke on the heels of a trip to Beirut, where he proposed a diplomatic plan for the region involving the full disarmament of Hezbollah by the Lebanese state.
The post Lebanon Must Disarm Hezbollah to Have a Shot at Better Days, Says US Envoy first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Report: Putin Urges Iran to Accept ‘Zero Enrichment’ Nuclear Deal With US
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of a cultural forum dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the birth of the Turkmen poet and philosopher Magtymguly Fragi, in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Oct. 11, 2024. Photo: Sputnik/Alexander Scherbak/Pool via REUTERS
i24 News – Russian President Vladimir Putin has told Iranian leadership that he supports the idea of a nuclear deal in which Iran is unable to enrich uranium, the Axios website reported on Saturday. The Russian strongman also relayed the message to his American counterpart, President Donald Trump, the report said.
Iranian news agency Tasnim issued a denial, citing an “informed source” as saying Putin had not sent any message to Iran in this regard.
Also on Saturday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that “Any negotiated solution must respect Iran’s right to enrichment. No agreement without recognizing our right to enrichment. If negotiations occur, the only topic will be the nuclear program. No other issues, especially defense or military matters, will be on the agenda.”
The post Report: Putin Urges Iran to Accept ‘Zero Enrichment’ Nuclear Deal With US first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Syria’s Al-Sharaa Attending At Least One Meeting With Israeli Officials in Azerbaijan
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa speaks during a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron after a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, May 7, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq/Pool
i24 News – Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa is attending at least one meeting with Israeli officials in Azerbaijan today, despite sources in Damascus claiming he wasn’t attending, a Syrian source close to President Al-Sharaa tells i24NEWS.
The Syrian source stated that this is a series of two or three meetings between the sides, with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani also in attendance, along with Ahmed Al-Dalati, the Syrian government’s liaison for security meetings with Israel.
The high-level Israeli delegation includes a special envoy of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, as well as security and military figures.
The purpose of the meetings is to discuss further details of the security agreement to be signed between Israel and Syria, the Iranian threat in Syria and Lebanon, Hezbollah’s weapons, the weapons of Palestinian militias, the Palestinians camps in Lebanon, and the future of Palestinian refugees from Gaza in the region.
The possibility of opening an Israeli coordination office in Damascus, without diplomatic status, might also be discussed.
The source stated that the decision to hold the meetings in Azerbaijan, made by Israel and the US, is intended to send a message to Iran.
The post Syria’s Al-Sharaa Attending At Least One Meeting With Israeli Officials in Azerbaijan first appeared on Algemeiner.com.