The Democrats’ Israel midterms divide was on full display at a key Democratic National Committee gathering in New Orleans, where party members clashed over pro-Israel lobbying, military aid and recognition of a Palestinian state ahead of November’s midterm elections.
The debate highlighted a growing rift between party leaders and progressives, many of whom are angry over Israel’s bombing of Gaza and its US-backed conflict with Iran. It also underscored how foreign policy is becoming a sharper political test inside the Democratic Party.
At the three-day DNC conference, attendees weighed resolutions to recognise a Palestinian state, restrict military aid to Israel and condemn the growing influence of AIPAC in American politics. However, the resolutions committee quickly rejected the anti-AIPAC proposal. Even so, the discussion exposed a deeper struggle over how Democrats should respond to Israel and whether lobbying money is shaping the party’s direction.
AIPAC’s spending in congressional races has drawn scrutiny, especially a reported $22 million spent in Illinois this year on Democratic primaries tied to November’s midterm contests. The rejected resolution accused the group of having undue influence through its multimillion-dollar spending. AIPAC, in response, said all Democrats, including its members, had the right to participate fully in the democratic process.
The broader political backdrop is also changing. A new Pew Research survey found that 80 per cent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents now view Israel unfavourably, up from 69 per cent last year and 53 per cent in 2022. An NBC poll also found a notable rise in negative views since the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023.
That trend is adding pressure on party leaders as they reassess their stance on Israel after the 2024 election. Democrats concluded that support for Israel’s military campaign in Gaza had cost the party votes. Rejecting AIPAC money has increasingly become a political marker in some Democratic circles. Figures including Cory Booker, Gavin Newsom, Josh Shapiro and Andy Beshear have said they would not take AIPAC cash. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker also told The New York Times that he broke with AIPAC around 2015 because he believed it had shifted politically to the right.
While the anti-AIPAC resolution failed, other proposals on military aid to Israel and recognition of a Palestinian state were referred to the DNC’s Middle East Working Group. That means the fight inside the party is far from over. With a final DNC vote pending, the New Orleans meeting made one point clear: Israel policy is no longer a side issue for Democrats. It is becoming a central question in how the party defines itself before the midterms.
