WASHINGTON (AP) — A pro-Israel Democratic advocacy group on Thursday released a framework intended to help the party better articulate its vision for the U. S. relationship with Israel, an issue that has deeply fractured Democrats this year and could lead to further divisions heading into the next presidential campaign. Democratic Majority for Israel is calling on the party to continue providing security and military assistance to the country while supporting a negotiated path to statehood for both Israelis and Palestinians and a future for Gaza that doesn’t include Hamas. It notably does not insist on unyielding support for Israel, acknowledging that “Israel’s security does not require support for every decision made by an Israeli government. ” The document also calls on Israel to “act decisively against settler threats, intimidation, and violence. ”
The framework is being released at a sensitive moment for Democrats following a primary season in which voters from New York to Michigan embraced candidates who backed positions including ending military aid to Israel. If Democrats retake control of the U. S. House or Senate in next month’s elections, these candidates could play a significant role in shaping the debate over America’s posture toward Israel. The issue could also play prominently in the early stages of the next presidential campaign, which could begin shortly after the midterms. Democratic Majority for Israel’s chief executive, Brian Romick, said his goal is to provide a “helpful guide for our mainstream Democratic candidates on how to engage with a complicated issue. ”
“It’s important to remind Democrats and Americans that there’s value in the U. S. -Israel relationship,” he said. “We thought it was important to kind of lay out a forward-looking vision. ”
The question is whether such a framework will go very far in shaping the views of Democrats, who are increasingly skeptical of Israel. About 58% of Democrats said the U. S. is “too supportive” of the Israelis, according to a June survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, up from 45% in January 2024. Roughly half of Democrats believe that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians during the war with Hamas, an accusation Israel rejects. Former Obama administration chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, who has argued Democrats need to return to the political center ahead of launching a potential presidential bid, went to Israel in July and delivered a blistering speech warning the country was at risk of becoming a “territorial pariah. ” He specifically called out Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has closely aligned himself with President Donald Trump, a Republican. Emanuel, who’s also a former congressman, Chicago mayor and U. S.