The Democratic Party platform’s disappearing support for Israel

Phrase after phrase of support once proudly expressed has vanished.

By Hugh Fitzgerald, Frontpage Magazine

Elder of Ziyon has taken a look at what the 2024 Democratic Party says about Israel, and compares it to the party’s platform statements about Israeli over the past 20 years.

There has been a steady erosion of support for the Jewish state, as phrase after phrase of support once proudly expressed has disappeared — no more “shared values” and “common interests” and praise for the “only democracy in the region” — until we have today’s bland statement of lukewarm support that is little different from that offered to any other country in the world.

And in fact, Israel is taken to task for its “settlers” and “settlements” and its attempt – the nerve of those Zionists! — to annex east Jerusalem. This platform statement is a harbinger, I’m afraid, of worse to come.

More on the results of Elder of Ziyon’s comparison of the last six Democratic platform statements on Israel can be found here:

“The Democratic Party platform used to say Israel and the US shared common values and strategic interests. They removed that.,” Elder of Ziyon, August 19, 2024:

…To trly [sic] understand the Democratic Party’s evolution of its position on Israel, we need to compare the newer platforms with previous party platforms. The previous platforms are always the starting point for the newer ones, so what has been removed from the platforms it is often more significant than what is included.

aHere [sic] you can see what language has been removed from the Democratic Party platforms of years past.

2004:

Our special relationship with Israel is based on the unshakable foundation of shared values and a mutual commitment to democracy, and we will ensure that under all circumstances, Israel retains the qualitative edge for its national security and its right to self-defense.

2008:

For more than three decades, Israelis, Palestinians, Arab leaders, and the rest of the world have looked to America to lead the effort to build the road to a secure and lasting peace. Our starting point must always be our special relationship with Israel, grounded in shared interests and shared values, and a clear, strong, fundamental commitment to the security of Israel, our strongest ally in the region and its only established democracy.

2012:

President Obama and the Democratic Party maintain an unshakable commitment to Israel’s security. A strong and secure Israel is vital to the United States not simply because we share strategic interests, but also because we share common values.

2016:

A strong and secure Israel is vital to the United States because we share overarching strategic interests and the common values of democracy, equality, tolerance, and pluralism.

In 2012, the Democratic Party stopped referring to America’a “special relationship with Israel.”

In 2020, the Democratic Party stopped referring to America having “shared values” and “common interests” with Israel….

In the 2024 Democratic platform, there is no longer any language about “shared values” and “strategic interests,” or “common interests” with Israel. There is not a syllable of praise for Israel as the “only democracy” in the region.

There is nothing about the “special relationship” with Israel that was included in the Democratic platforms of 2004 and 2008.

In fact, most of the platform’s statement is not in support of Israel, but more about punishing the Jewish state for the acts of its “settlers.”

“Settlements” are declared illegal; there is not a word about Israel’s right, according to the Mandate for Palestine, to create settlements for Jews on state and waste lands in all the territory west of the Jordan River.

Jerusalem’s “final status” according to the Democratic platform is to be subject to “negotiation,” even though east Jerusalem has been part of the Jewish state since 1967.

The Palestinians deserve to be given “critical support” by the Americans, “consistent with American law,” but there is not a word about the Taylor Force Act, which Congress passed so as to halt all aid to the PA.

The Biden-Harris administration has provided hundreds of millions of dollars to the PA, thereby violating the Taylor Force Act.

This appalling document will dismay those who wish Israel well, but will surely please Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Bernie Sanders, the Hadid family, Linda Sarsour, Jeremy Ben-Ami and, of course, Nihad Awad.

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