Suddenly, Democratic Politicians Are Running Away From AIPAC
But Biden’s Gaza policy, Kamala Harris’s overtly centrist 2024 campaign, her defeat, the Democratic establishment’s cautious approach to Trump, and the New York City mayoral race have reanimated tensions between the party’s progressive and center-left wings. What many progressives and even some who aren’t really that ideologically left see is a Democratic establishment that keeps losing elections and whimpering in the fight against Trump and Republicans. And they are trying to figure out where Democratic politicians stand on this divide. “Is Israel committing genocide?” or, “Do you oppose AIPAC?” are in many ways a proxy for, “Are your ultimate loyalties with the center-left donors, pollsters, and party leaders or with those of us who want to replace them?”
Politicians, I suspect, recognize that the Israel-Gaza questions aren’t just about Middle East policy. Maine’s Graham Platner may sincerely believe that Israel is committing a genocide in Gaza, but he is likely embracing that term in part because the progressive voters that he is appealing to hold that stance and want to hear it from candidates. Booker, Newsom, McMorrow, Buttigieg, Harris, and many other prominent Democrats get squeamish or deliver word salads when asked about Israeli-Palestinian issues. That’s because they are essentially being asked to align with the party’s centrists or its progressives, but their political brands and strategies are to be palatable to both blocs.
Third, the rise of Zohran Mamdani is reshaping Israeli-Palestinian politics within the party. He won the mayoral primary in New York despite a long record of skepticism about Israel, the city’s sizable Jewish population, and constant accusations that he is antisemitic. Mamdani’s victory has emboldened progressives, who might have backtracked from demanding candidates take Israel-skeptical positions if those proved electorally damaging. If a candidate like that can win a Democratic primary in New York without bowing to the pro-Israel side, it’s likely that such a candidate can win a primary anywhere.
