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August 20, 2024
Hi Steve,
Pardon the mid-week interruption. I usually only send newsletters on Sunday mornings but I'm in Chicago and yesterday the Democratic Party officially adopted the 2024 Democratic Platform. It's a big deal if you care about Israel and antisemitism, and a bigger deal if you had even a scintilla of doubt that you should vote Democratic in 2024.
The Democratic Platform is a blueprint for what it means to be pro-Israel in 2024. It outlines the achievements and aspirations of the Biden-Harris administration as well as the failures of the Trump administration on Israel. There is a lot in the entire platform, including Israel and antisemitism, that did not get mentioned much or at all on Day One of the convention. That's one reason parties have platforms--they are available at all times for those who want to know where the parties stand on any issue.
But don't take my word for which party has a better platform on Israel and antisemitism. Regular readers of this newsletter know that I am a big believer in reading the source documents before reading summaries or opinions about the source documents. So let's let them speak for themselves:
This is the Republican platform on Israel in its entirety:
"Republicans will strengthen Alliances by ensuring that our Allies must meet their obligations to invest in our Common Defense and by restoring Peace to Europe. We will stand with Israel, and seek peace in the Middle East. We will rebuild our Alliance Network in the Region to ensure a future of Peace, Stability, and Prosperity."
That's it. The whole shebang. The random capitalization is in the text of the GOP platform. I'm not sure if the first sentence applies only to NATO or what the third sentence refers to but I included them for the sake of completeness.
The Republican platform does not mention Iran, October 7, or the hostages.
This is the Republican platform on antisemitism in its entirety:
"Republicans condemn antisemitism, and support revoking Visas of Foreign Nationals who support terrorism and jihadism. We will hold accountable those who perpetrate violence against Jewish people."
That's it. Again with the random capitalization. That's all the GOP has to say about Israel and antisemitism.
Read the entire Republican platform here.
This is the Democratic platform on Israel in its entirety (note that it includes sections on Trump's failures on Iran):
"President Biden is working to build a durable peace in the Middle East bolstered by regional integration, a strong coalition to counter and deter Iran and prevent it and its terrorist proxies from threatening the security of the region, and a negotiated two-state solution that ensures Israel’s future as a Jewish and democratic state with recognized borders and upholds the right of Palestinians to live in freedom and security in a viable state of their own.
The terrorist group Hamas sought to destroy the promise of that vision on October 7, 2023, but they will not succeed. The United States strongly supports Israel in the fight against Hamas. And the hard work of diplomacy under the President's leadership has made real progress on a way forward that will free the hostages, establish a durable ceasefire, ease humanitarian suffering in Gaza, and make possible normalization between Israel and key Arab states, together with meaningful progress and a political horizon for the Palestinian
people.
President Biden has spent decades working to advance U.S. interests and values in the Middle East. As President, he has met with and worked alongside every key leader in the region to de-escalate conflicts, deter aggression and forge new ways to promote stability, prosperity, human security, and peace. President Biden has long believed that partners and allies should be able to deter conflict and defend themselves in ways that safeguard human
rights and prevent civilian harm.
The Administration has worked tirelessly to deepen and widen regional integration. In September 2023, President Biden announced a new economic corridor to connect India to Europe through the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel. He also directed his Administration to build on the Abraham Accords and work on a historic normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia, As a tangible sign of this normalization process, President Biden helped
negotiate the first-ever civilian aviation agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia, allowing for overflight of Israeli civilian aircraft in Saudi airspace and leading to a more integrated and economically connected Middle East.
Through aggressive diplomacy backed by U.S. military power, the Administration has worked alongside our allies and partners to deter and defend against Iran and its terrorist surrogates. President Biden has postured U.S. military forces in the region and authorized precision airstrikes on key Iranian-linked targets tied to attacks against U.S. troops to deter further aggression by Iran. President Biden has also continued to protect the American
people from terrorism, authorizing military strikes that took out ISIS emirs and the leader of Al Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri.
In response to brazen attacks by Iranian-linked Houthi forces against international commercial shipping, U.S. naval vessels in the Red Sea, and Israel, President Biden ordered military strikes, alongside key allies, against Houthi targets and organized Operation Prosperity Guardian, a coalition of more than 20 nations committed to defending international shipping and deterring Houthi attacks.
When Iran launched more than 300 missiles and drones against Israel in April 2024, President Biden led an unprecedented defensive coalition – together with partners from Europe and across the Middle East – to defeat the attack, protect Israel, and stop the spread of a wider war. Through direct defensive action by the U.S. military and its partners, Iranian munitions did not cause significant damage, demonstrating both America’s ironclad commitment to the security of Israel and our unrivaled ability to leverage growing regional
integration among U.S. partners to counter Iranian aggression.
All of this stands in sharp contrast to Trump's fecklessness and weakness in the face of Iranian aggression during his presidency. In 2018, when Iranian-backed militias repeatedly attacked the U.S. consulate in Basra, Iraq Trump’s only response was to close our diplomatic facility. In June 2019, when Iran shot down a U.S. surveillance aircraft operating in international airspace above the Straits of Hormuz, Trump responded by tweet and then abruptly called off any actual retaliation, causing confusion and concern among his own national security team. In September 2019, when Iranian-backed groups threatened global energy markets by attacking Saudi oil infrastructure, Trump failed to respond against Iran or its proxies. In January 2020, when Iran, for the first and only time in its history, directly launched ballistic missiles against U.S. troops in western Iraq, Trump mocked the resulting Traumatic Brain Injuries suffered by dozens of American servicemembers as mere “headaches” – and again, took no action.
The Administration continues to manage the fallout from Trump’s reckless and
short-sighted decision to pull the United States out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action to constrain Iran’s nuclear weapons ambitions. Iran was abiding by the agreement not to expand its nuclear capacity until Trump’s costly mistake. Since then, as a result, Iran has gone from being more than a year away from being able to produce enough weapons grade material for a bomb to a matter of weeks, should it choose to do so. Iran has continued to
advance its nuclear program, increase the size and enrichment level of its uranium stockpile, and develop, manufacture, and operate advanced centrifuges. President Biden remains committed to a diplomatic solution while standing resolute that Iran will never be allowed to develop nuclear weapons.
Response to the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and Next Steps to a Lasting Peace for Israelis and Palestinians
President Biden and Vice President Harris believe a strong, secure, and democratic Israel is vital to the interests of the United States. Their commitment to Israel’s security, its qualitative military edge, its right to defend itself, and the 2016 Memorandum of Understanding is ironclad. President Biden and Vice President Harris recognize the worth of every innocent life, whether Israeli or Palestinian.
President Biden and Vice President Harris have unequivocally denounced Hamas’s brutal attack on Israel on October 7, condemned the gruesome violence – including conflict-related sexual violence – demonstrated by Hamas and made clear that the United States wants to see Hamas defeated.
President Biden traveled to Israel – the first U.S. president to do so at a time of war – in the days after October 7 to demonstrate that the United States stands with Israel in its quest for peace and security. He has also defended Israel at the U.N. against one-sided efforts to condemn Israel. The Administration worked with Congressional leaders to pass a historic aid package worth $14 billion to help Israel defend itself and to provide more than $1 billion for
additional humanitarian aid to Gaza.
President Biden has also been determined to broker an immediate and lasting ceasefire deal that once finalized secures the return of all hostages, including the remaining Americans held in Gaza; addresses the immense civilian pain and extreme suffering being caused by the conflict, including the displacement and death of so many innocent people in Gaza; results in a durable end to the war in Gaza; and sets the stage for a lasting regional peace.The President has made clear to the world the importance of this ceasefire and he and his
team are working at the highest levels to finalize this deal.
President Biden has also worked tirelessly – including through the appointment of a senior civilian coordinator for humanitarian relief – to surge and ensure the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people. Many vulnerable civilians are suffering deadly consequences of the Israel-Hamas war. Residents of Gaza have been displaced, and food insecurity has been severe. The Administration has worked relentlessly to deliver food, medicine, and other aid to the people of Gaza and to set the conditions for the reconstruction of communities in Gaza that have been devastated by the war.
As President Biden has made clear, a ceasefire deal will lead to a more secure Israel and unlock the possibility of greater regional integration and historic normalization with its Arab neighbors. It will allow Israelis to safely return to their homes without fear of being attacked. A deal will also allow for Arab nations and the international community to help rebuild Gaza in a manner that does not allow Hamas to re-arm. It will allow the United States to work with
partners to rebuild homes, schools, and hospitals in Gaza and repair destroyed communities. It would create the conditions for a better future for the Palestinian people, one of self-determination, dignity, security, and freedom, and ultimately a state of their own – a contrast to Trump, who refuses to endorse the political aspirations of the Palestinian people.
President Biden and Vice President Harris oppose any unilateral steps by either side, including annexation, that undermine prospects for two states. We will continue to stand against incitement and terror. The Administration opposes settlement expansion. President Biden has spoken out against extremist settler violence, and in February, the President issued an executive order establishing U.S. authority to impose financial sanctions against
foreign persons engaged in actions that threaten the peace, security, or stability of the West Bank. The Administration believes that while Jerusalem is a matter for final status negotiations, it should remain the capital of Israel, an undivided city accessible to people of all faiths. We support critical assistance to the Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza, consistent with U.S. law. The Administration opposes any effort to unfairly single out and delegitimize Israel, including at the United Nations or through the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement, while protecting the Constitutional right of our citizens to free speech.
The Lebanese people deserve to live in an independent and sovereign Lebanon that is free from the grip of Iran-backed Hezbollah, and a corruption-free, competent, reform-minded government focused on addressing the needs of its people. In this regard, the Administration is also committed to facilitating a diplomatic resolution to the ongoing hostilities along the Israel-Lebanon border that would ensure the return of both Israeli and Lebanese families to their homes."
This is the Democratic platform on antisemitism in its entirety:
"President Biden has been a strong and unequivocal voice speaking out against rising antisemitism in America. The Administration released the first-ever National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, outlining a whole-of-society effort, including unprecedented, coordinated, and bold actions across government agencies, and calls to action for Congress, state and local governments, companies, technology platforms, and others. As part of that strategy, the Administration clarified, for the first time in writing, that Title VI of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964 prohibits certain forms of antisemitic, Islamophobic, and related discrimination, including discrimination by national origin, in federally funded programs and activities. President Biden continues to take bold action to combat antisemitism on college campuses. And he has prioritized fighting antisemitism abroad by appointing Deborah Lipstadt as U.S. Special Envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, an ambassador-level position."
Read the entire Democratic platform here. It was approved by the Democratic National Committee on July 16 by a vote of 139-2. If that's not overwhelming support for a solid pro-Israel position, I don't know what is. There were no voices of opposition inside the United Center when it was officially adopted last night. If there was supposed to be a big platform fight about Israel and antisemitism, someone forgot to tell the Democratic base.
And with that, I'll leave it to you to decide which party takes support for Israel and opposition to antisemitism more seriously. If you need help deciding, this statement from JDCA CEO Halie Soifer will help.
Look for the regular newsletter bright and early Sunday morning.
For those new to this newsletter. This is the newsletter even Republicans have to read and the original home of the viral and beloved 2022 and 2023 Top Ten Signs You're At a Republican Seder. If someone forwarded this to you, why not subscribe and get it in your inbox every Sunday? Just click here--it's free.
I periodically update my posts on why Democrats are better than Republicans on Israel and antisemitism and on the IHRA definition of antisemitism. My definition of "pro-Israel" is here (it's a work in progress, as am I).
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