Washington DC – Inexplicable. This is how advocates describe the actions of some Democratic officials who appear to not only alienate, but also actively oppose members of their own party because of divergent views on the war in Gaza.
Many prominent Democrats, including US President Joe Biden, have expressed “unwavering” support for the Israeli military offensive in the Palestinian enclave. But that stance has fractured the Democratic base, with polls showing a majority of Americans support a cease-fire.
This schism was made clear in November, when activists staged a ceasefire protest outside the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, DC. Democratic Rep. Brad Sherman responded by calling the protesters “pro-terrorists.”
“Apparently these pro-Hamas protesters want the #Republicans to win in the upcoming Congressional elections,” he wrote in a social media post.
He also accused the activists of trying to break into the building – an allegation refuted by protest organizers and journalists at the scene. Protesters had sought to block the entrance to the headquarters where a reception was taking place, and police responded by evacuating lawmakers and forcibly dispersing activists.
But advocates say Sherman’s reaction is one of several instances where Democratic politicians have defamed their constituents over the Gaza war, signaling a break with the party’s base.
“Major political error”
Beth Miller, political director of Jewish Voice for Peace Action, an advocacy group, called Democrats’ attacks on ceasefire activists “pathetic” and “shocking.”
“It’s also a major political mistake,” Miller told Tel Aviv Tribune.
She noted that public opinion polls show that most Americans – and an overwhelming majority of Democrats – support an end to hostilities in Gaza.
A Reuters/Ipsos survey released last month indicated that 68 percent of respondents thought Israel should call a ceasefire and negotiate an end to the war. That figure rose to 77 percent among Democrats alone.
“For these members of Congress to not only reject it, but actively attack these people, I think that means they’re also not reading the political winds on how people will vote and what they will demand over the course of of the coming cycle.” Miller said.
The gap between Democratic politics and public opinion has translated into declining approval ratings. In October, the Arab American Institute, a think tank, found that Arab American support for Biden had fallen 42%, hitting an all-time low.
This downward trend was also reflected in the general public. A recent NBC poll showed that 70% of voters under the age of 34 disapprove of President Joe Biden’s handling of the war.
Usamah Andrabi, communications director for Justice Democrats, a progressive group, said the Democratic Party is showing itself to be “out of step” with its base as well as the broader electorate.
“It is a disconcerting calculation to see the president and the White House moving much closer to the far-right government of Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel than to the majority of his own Democratic voters at home,” Andrabi told Tel Aviv Tribune .
Criticism of ceasefire calls
From the start of the war, several Democrats, including Biden, drew anger for appearing to vilify activists calling for a ceasefire.
Days after the conflict broke out, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre issued a strongly worded response to a question about lawmakers allegedly “equating the Hamas terrorist attack” with Israeli actions.
Jean-Pierre first asked for details about which members of Congress had done so. When the journalist identified them as members who were “calling for a ceasefire,” she called their statements “false,” “repugnant” and “shameful.”
It’s unclear exactly what statements she was referring to, but many activists understood her words as a condemnation of progressive lawmakers pushing for an end to the war.
Meanwhile, Democratic Senator John Fetterman received praise from far-right publication Breitbart last month for waving an Israeli flag in the face of ceasefire protesters at the Capitol.
Then came the large pro-Israel demonstration on November 14, during which top congressional Democrats held hands with their Republican counterparts, including House Speaker Mike Johnson. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer chanted “I stand with Israel.” The crowd regularly shouted: “No ceasefire!”
The Biden administration was represented by Deborah Lipstadt, the US envoy for combating anti-Semitism, who delivered a speech. The pro-Israel rally also brought together far-right figures, including Christian Zionist pastor John Hagee, who has been accused of fueling both anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.
A day after the rally, two White House communications officials, Andrew Bates and Herbie Ziskend, approvingly shared a Fox News article titled: “Biden allies condemn far-left calls for ceasefire.” fire in the war between Israel and Hamas.
In the article, Democratic lawmakers — including Fetterman and Congressman Ritchie Torres — praised Biden for his support for Israel and chastised those calling for an end to the war as “outsiders.”
An anonymous Biden administration official quoted in the article criticized mainstream media for not being sufficiently critical of Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian American member of Congress.
Criticism of Palestinian rights supporters continued this week when Democratic Rep. Brad Schneider gave an interview to Fox News.
He called for the tax-exempt status of groups he says are diverting money “to terrorist organizations” to be revoked, citing – without evidence – the American Muslim Palestine Defense Organization. He added that “groups like Students for Justice in Palestine and others should not benefit from these tax benefits.”
“Main voting bases”
Andrabi of Justice Democrats sees this type of rhetoric as corrosive to the relationship Democratic politicians have with their supporters.
“What we see is that the Biden administration is trying to make the American people believe that their majority who support a ceasefire are somehow radical and fringe, when the only people who are radical and fringe are the coalition between the far-right government of Netanyahu and Biden. White House,” Andrabi said.
He rejected arguments that the war would not shake Biden’s standing with voters as he seeks re-election in 2024.
Foreign policy is rarely a top priority for voters. But advocates say the scale of the violence in Gaza has made it a deciding issue for many voters. Some UN experts have gone so far as to warn of “a serious risk of genocide”.
“I don’t think anyone will forget this in a year. And what the Democrats are doing is trying to make it clear that it’s not going to matter,” Andrabi explained. But, he added, “it means so much to a lot of their core voting bases.”
Delaware state Rep. Madinah Wilson-Anton, who participated in a hunger strike outside the White House this week to demand a cease-fire, expressed bewilderment at the Democratic mainstream’s position .
“I’m trying to understand what the rationale is,” she told Tel Aviv Tribune, expressing disappointment with Biden.
“People feel betrayed. People feel like they were made to believe that he was this moral leader who was going to restore the soul of America. »
New York State Rep. Zohran Mamdani said Americans desperately need a government that represents them and their demands. He said he was surprised that calls for a ceasefire had been deemed controversial.
“I don’t know how this claim qualifies as far left. This is the most widespread foreign policy demand in America today,” he said.
