[ad_1]
Joe Biden faces split into his own party on the conflict in Gaza, while progressive Democrats pressured the president to take a tougher stance on Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians.
Democratic members of Congress have been critical of Israel’s defense of the Biden administration, which reflects decades of orthodoxy in US foreign policy, but increasingly disagrees with the opinion of the party base. .
As violence in the region continued over the weekend, Democrats fought in public over how the US should respond.
Bernie Sanders, Vermont’s left-wing senator, said Sunday: “When you have the United States spending nearly $ 4 billion on Israel, we have the right to demand that everyone’s human rights be respected, including the Palestinians. “.
He told MSNBC: “What we need now is an equitable policy that protects the security of Israel (they have the right to live in peace and security without terrorist attacks), but the people of the Palestinian territories also have the right to live in peace and dignity “.
Sanders’ comments came a day after Biden spoke with both Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, and Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, after days of fighting.
The White House said the U.S. president told Abbas that Hamas should stop firing rockets at Israel, while Netanyahu “reaffirmed his strong support for Israel’s right to defend itself.”
On Sunday, the death toll in Gaza was 192, including 92 women and children, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Israel has reported ten deaths from Hamas attacks, including two children.
The president’s tone reflects his long-term support for Israel. But it has sparked anger among American Muslim groups, some of which boycotted a virtual White House event on Sunday to celebrate the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr.
And it has also put him at odds with a new generation of progressives in his party. Although he has been able to find a common cause with younger, left-wing members of his party on a number of national issues, such as the economy, infrastructure and climate change, it is more difficult for him to do so. foreign policy.
Several members of Congress criticized the administration’s position during a passionate debate in the House of Representatives last Thursday.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the New York representative, said during this debate: “The president and many other figures this week declared that Israel has a right to defend itself, and this is a sentiment that is echoed throughout “But do Palestinians have the right to survive?”
Other Democrats have also been more willing than in the past to criticize Israel. Said Bob Menendez, Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a supporter of Israel in a statement on Saturday, he was “deeply concerned” by some of Israel’s military actions.
Ben Rhodes, Barack Obama’s former deputy national security adviser, said he “feels increasingly unsustainable for the United States to see this loss of civilian lives in Gaza (including so many children) and not publicly call for a ceasefire.”
But many more established members of Congress have maintained their traditional support for Israel. Ted Deutch, a three-term Florida representative, said during last week’s debate, “If I am asked to choose between a terrorist organization and our democratic ally, I will stand by Israel.”
The splits reflect changing views within the party on U.S. policies in the region. In 2008, only 33% of Democrats thought the U.S. should pressure Israelis to make commitments instead of Palestinians, according to Gallup vote. That figure is now 53 percent.
Meanwhile, many of those who campaigned last year for greater racial equality following the assassination of George Floyd have found a common cause with Palestinians.
A statement posted by the Black Lives Matter movement on Instagram last week said, “One cannot defend racial equality, LGBT rights and women, condemn corrupt and abusive regimes and other injustices, but choose to ignore Palestinian oppression. sum “.
Democratic struggles continued over the weekend as Ritchie Torres and Jamaal Bowman, both members of the Democratic Congress representing neighboring parts of New York, argued on Twitter.
Last week Torres spoke in defense of Israel and accused his critics of forming a “Twitter-dominant troop” against him. Sunday, Bowman tweeted: “My brother Ritchie, this is not a Twitter mafia. It’s about justice, humanity and equality.”
Torres replied: “I have a deep respect for you as a colleague. But it alarms me when those on Twitter post images that erase Israel from the map, as an elected official recently did. ”
Republicans have been eager to confront democratic divisions over Israel, especially as they face their own splits over the future of the party as a result of Dismissal of Liz Cheney from his leadership in Congress.
Jason Miller, an adviser to former President Donald Trump, has tweeted a piece detailing democratic divisions over Israel, saying, “The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is exposing a rift among Democrats.”
[ad_2]
Source link
