The Fault Line Between the Democratic Party and Israel

Attorney Ido Dembin, an expert on American politics and US-Israel relations, explains that the rift between the Democratic Party and Israel did not begin on October 7, but stems from a historical sequence of events, including the tension between Netanyahu and Obama, Israel's treatment of non-Orthodox streams, and the rise of progressives and socialists in the party, allowing hostile figures to Israel to gain momentum.

Attorney Ido Dembin, an expert on American politics and US-Israel relations, explains in an interview that the rift between the Democratic Party and Israel is not the result of a single event, but a long historical process. According to him, the Democratic Party was for decades the natural home of American Jews and a supporter of Israel, but tension began to surface when Netanyahu did not get along with Obama, even when he was a candidate. Israel's treatment of non-Orthodox streams also contributed to the tension. On October 7, Israel enjoyed a brief media credit, but the harsh Israeli response and the fact that the government is considered extreme exacerbated the dispute with the Biden administration. Meanwhile, progressives and socialists, with a different foreign policy and sympathy for national independence movements, are gaining traction in the party. Figures like Ocasio-Cortez, Omar, and Pressley were first elected and fuel a mass movement enabling the rise of people like Zohran Mamdani, who were not part of the political landscape years ago.