The fault line between the Democratic Party and Israel
The Democratic Party was for decades the natural home for American Jews and for support for Israel, but since tensions began between Netanyahu and Obama, and even more so since October 7, relations have been deteriorating. Attorney Ido Dambin, an expert on American politics and Israel-USA relations, explains where the rift comes from and why the current situation allows figures hostile to Israel to gain momentum.
Listen to 'The Headline' – ynet's daily news podcast. This time: on the attitude of the Democratic Party in the USA towards Israel.
'The Democratic Party was for most years the natural home for American Jews. Even without a direct connection to them, it found in Israel a natural partner and friend. Israel has a positive history with presidents from the Democratic Party. The fault line did not begin on October 7, although Israeli conduct since then has accelerated processes that already existed. There is a sequence of events throughout history, and it is also related to Israel's attitude towards streams in Judaism that are not Orthodox, which are not recognized in Israel at all. The tension surfaced when Benjamin Netanyahu could not get along with Obama, even when he was only a candidate for president,' explains attorney Ido Dambin, an expert on American politics and Israel-USA relations.
'We arrived at October 7 already in a problematic position. Joe Biden was indeed a distinct Zionist to an exceptional degree, but his election did not reflect the currents beneath the surface. There were very critical currents against Israel within the party, and also in the Republican Party, where currents arose that did not understand why there is such increased preoccupation with Israel and why so much money is invested in it. On October 7, Israel enjoyed media credit for a few days – even figures critical of Israel condemned Hamas and defended it. However, the Israeli response and its unprecedented power, the way it is covered, and the fact that the government in Israel is considered extremist, caused the argument between the Biden administration and the Israeli government to flare up.'
'There are additional factors for the deterioration of relations,' Dambin continues. 'In the Democratic Party, progressives and socialists are gaining momentum, and part of their worldview is a foreign policy very different from what we know. They are much more critical, and they sympathize with national movements that seek independence. They link these movements to movements for the liberation of women and the liberation of black people, and this feeds ideological circles that received electoral expression in the 2018 elections and even more so in later campaigns. We see figures like Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, and Ayanna Pressley, who fuel a mass movement that allows the rise of people like Zohran Mamdani. These are people who were not part of the system at all until a few years ago.'
If you missed it: you are invited to listen to another episode of ours, about the war of attrition in the Strait of Hormuz.
