There is a price for Palestinian lives
A profound change in the Democrat camp in America on the Gaza question
Global New News Desk -
"This change is dramatic, profound," said John Jagby, a leading American pollster who has been monitoring public opinion in the United States on the Middle East issue for decades.
The younger generation in the United States in particular is now more sympathetic to the Palestinians, and this change is being reflected in the Democratic Party.
President Biden has followed the traditional American view, repeatedly saying that Israel has the right to self-defense. But inside the team, he is reading quite awkwardly. Because the Democrats are now sounding much more concerned about the situation in Gaza and the Palestinians in the West Bank, and Israel is being directly blamed for the situation.
Diversity in Congress and its consequences,
To find the cause of the change in the Democrats on the Israeli-Palestinian issue, one has to look to the US Congress. The United States has historically shown almost unilateral support for Israel.
The main reason behind this was the influential Jewish vote which is very important for the Democrats. Evangelical Christians, on the other hand, who are hardline Israelites, are an important vote bank for Republicans. Considering these two vote banks, the Israeli explanation for the conflict in the Middle East has always been accepted in Congress. That is reflected in American foreign policy.
But within Congress, diversity is coming day by day, and at the same time, conventional US policy on the question of Israel is under pressure.
According to the Pew Foundation Study, 23 percent of the members of the House of Representatives and Senate elected in the 2021 election are of black, Hispanic, Asian and Native American descent. This is a record. Twenty years ago this number was only 11 percent. In 1945 it was only 1 percent.
Three young Democrat members,
Three young Democrats in Congress (left to right) - Ilhan Omar, Alexander Ocasio Cortez and Rashida Talib
This diversity in representation in the legislature has led to growing differences of opinion on various issues, and the center of gravity of power and influence is changing.
A coalition of a few young, progressive members of Congress - known as the Squad - includes Rashida Talib of Palestinian descent from Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Somalian descent from Minnesota.
The most well-known face in the squad is Alexander Ocasio Cortez, a New Yorker who defeated senior Democrat Joe Crowley in the primary to win the team ticket.
Joe Crowley was a staunch supporter of Israel. As a result, 31-year-old Ocasio-Cortez, of Puerto Rican descent, now fits the New York Democrat voters' profile much better than Crowley, 59.
"There are now a significant number of blacks in the Democrat camp who are much more sensitive to the treatment of other blacks," said John Jagby.
"They see Israel as an aggressive force. They don't know much about Israel's early history, they don't know how this state went through so many setbacks."
He said, “This generation knows the situation after Intifada. They know about the war between the two sides, they are watching the Israeli bombings and the deaths of innocent people. ”
Barney factor,
The main reason behind this diversity in Congress is a socio-political movement of the progressive left in the United States that has resulted in the election of a politician like Ocasio Cortez. And Vermont Democrat Senator Bernie Sanders has been a key force behind this left-progressive movement.
Born into a Jewish family. Sanders lived in Israel for several years in the sixties.
He was also sympathetic to Israel early in his political career. When he first ran for president in 2016, he spoke in support of the Palestinians, an exception in the Democrat camp.
Hamas launched a rocket attack on Israel in March 2016, when Hillary Clinton was embroiled in a controversy over her candidacy. Barney Sanders then openly spoke about the plight of the Palestinians - their unemployment, "destroyed homes, schools, hospitals."
Left-wing Democrat Barney Sanders. Has acted as the main force behind the left-progressive movement
At the time, Ed Pilkington of the Guardian wrote: "Bernie Sanders broke with the unwritten custom of losing the election by talking about Palestinian suffering."
Of course Mr. Sanders lost both presidential battles. However, this view has led many Democrats to become supporters. At the same time, on various progressive platforms agitating on education, medicine, wage equality and environmental issues, Mr. Sanders' position gained popularity.
Despite not being a candidate, Bernie Sanders has been increasingly critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ever since. He has repeatedly denounced the Israeli prime minister as a "reckless racist and dictator."
What he said about the conflict in a commentary in the New York Times last week now reflects the views of a significant section of the Democratic Party. Fillon. Barney Sanders writes, “The truth is that Israel is the only sovereign state in the Israeli and Palestinian territories. And instead of pursuing peace and justice, they are trying to consolidate their unbalanced power and undemocratic occupation. ”
There is a price for Palestinian life,
At the end of the New York Times commentary, Mr. Sanders wrote in the United States: "A new generation of activists is emerging." He writes, পর “We have seen these activists on the streets of America since the assassination of George Floyd. We have seen them in Israel. We have seen them in the Palestinian territories. "
Mr. Sanders' last words were - "Palestinian lives matter".
After the death of George Floyd, those who shook the streets of America with the slogan 'Black Lives Matter' are now turning their attention to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. They think. Uncontrolled torture continues in the Middle East.
"People in St. Louis sent me here to save lives," said Corey Bush, a first-time elected member of Congress from St. Louis. "It means we oppose the militarization of the police with our money, the occupation of other people's places and lives, and violent repression. We are anti-war, anti-occupation and anti-apartheid. ”
Like the slogan 'Stop money to the police', the slogan 'Stop money in the Israeli army' has started to rise.
Donald and BB,
In America now almost all policies are being polarized from a party perspective. The US policy on the Jewish state is also causing great inconvenience to pro-Israel supporters in the Democratic Party. Because of Benjamin Netanyahu's long tenure in power and his efforts to build rapprochement with the right-wing Americans, it is causing inconvenience to many Democrats.
Many Democrats have not forgotten Netanyahu's speech at a joint session of Congress in 2015 at the invitation of Republicans under Obama and his call for Congress not to approve a nuclear deal with Iran.
Since then, Donald Trump has maintained close ties with Netanyahu and the Israeli right during his full four years in power. He stopped humanitarian aid to the Palestinians. The U.S. embassy brought him from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. He has completely ignored the Palestinians in various compromises in the Middle East.
In a speech to the congressional session in 2015, Netanyahu called for an end to the nuclear deal with Iran, which many Democrats have not forgotten.
For these reasons, even many moderate Democrats have begun to reconsider their old position on the Palestinian issue.
Mr Jagbi said the trend could continue because, he said, Mr Trump had failed to garner much support from Jewish voters despite trying to protect Israeli interests. "He lived in false hope," said Mr Jagbi. "American Jews are basically a liberal and progressive community."
Biden, the traditional catcher,
Democrats within Congress in Washington have been changing the pace of the debate over Israel for some time, but its sporadic reflections on the White House are barely visible.
Mr Biden was silent when staunch Israeli supporters, such as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, spoke of a ceasefire. The White House also blocked a UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire.
The statement did not comment on Netanyahu's first telephone conversation with Biden, but focused on Israel's right to self-defense. And just before the start of the conflict, Mr Biden approved an arms deal worth about কোটি 840 million with Israel.
No doubt Mr. Biden is walking on a slender rope.
The support of the left wing of the party is essential for him to pass his important plans in the Congress. So far this part of the party has been supporting the president, but they will not hesitate to abandon him if the president ignores Israel's behavior, which they see as an extreme violation of human rights.
"We have been seeing growing support for the Palestinians in the United States for some time now. But it was not a big issue, ”said Mr Jagbi. “But now it's becoming a big issue, especially in the Democrat camp. And the force behind this is the black and young generation of voters and the progressive part of the party. ”
In foreign policy, especially in American Middle East policy, this reflection of public opinion is not yet there. Mr Biden is still not paying much attention to the issue. But Israeli supporters of the Democrat camp are worried. They fear that Mr Biden's acceptance of public welfare issues over the years could be shaken.
Politicians cannot survive by ignoring their supporters for long. Sources, BBC
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