Israel-Hamas conflict exposed Biden’s party division

WASHINGTON – The latest escalation of violence between Israel and Hamas, leading to the worst conflict in the Middle East since the Gaza war in 2014, exposed the differences between Joe Biden and the progressive wing of Democrats, which until now had been masked by the left turn proposed by Biden with his reform program. But also revealed how the unwavering political support for Israel in Washington has been recalibrated towards the Palestinians, thereby widening the rift.

An image that left the week synthesized this political turning point in the United States. Biden flew to Detroit and when he got off the presidential plane he was waiting for him Rashida Tlaib, one of the first Muslim women elected to a seat in Congress, the daughter of Palestinian immigrants and one of the scathing voices of the Democratic left. Biden and Tlaib, a staunch critic of Israel, had a lengthy conversation in the airport lobby that was filmed, the first face-to-face conversation between the two since Biden took office.

“And Rashida Tlaib… where is Rashida?” Biden later looked for her, giving a speech about the economy at a Ford plant in Dearborn, near Detroit. “I’m telling you something, Rashida, and I want to tell you that I admire your intellect, I admire your passion, and I admire your concern for so many other people. I pray that your grandmother and your family are doing well. I promise you, I will do everything to make this happen in the West Bank. You are a fighter. And thank God for being a fighter, ”he congratulated her.

As Biden spoke, thousands marched for the Palestinians in three protests in the city, where nearly half of the population is Muslim.

Biden’s gesture to Tlaid was notable because she is by far the toughest member of Congress on Israel, and days earlier accused the Biden government of “following the orders” of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and to act with “hypocrisy” by promoting the defense of man. rights, except for Palestinians. Tlaib accused Israel of pursuing “racist” policies, of running an “apartheid state” and, unlike the rest of Washington’s political arc, of openly promoting a one-state solution to the long-standing conflict between Israelis and Israelis. Palestinians.

The 11 days of missile rains between Israel and Gaza have given Tlaib the most visibility since entering Congress in 2018, riding the “blue wave” that gave Democrats control of the House of Representatives. With her came Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar – also a Muslim, like Tlaib – and Ayanna Presley, members of the group known as “the squad”, progressive and fierce critics of the Netanyahu government. Their voices amplified positions which, until those years, were held only by figures like Socialist Senator Bernie Sanders.

Signs of change

Over the days, signs of Israel’s democratic hardening became more visible and widespread, along with the growing disparity in casualties: 237 among Palestinians and 12 among Israelis, including civilians and children. The leaders of the Democratic establishment on Capitol Hill, such as Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer or Bob Menendez, all considered “hawks” of Israel, have called for a ceasefire. Menendez even said he was “deeply concerned” by the civilian casualties in Gaza and the attack on a building where the offices of the AP agency and Al Jazeera were operating. In the Senate, Jon Ossof, the young Jewish senator from Georgia who helped his election this year win the Democrats’ majority in the upper house, gathered 29 signatures for a statement calling for a ceasefire to “avoid further news loss of civilian life “.

White House messages have also been recalibrated over the days. Biden, whose early reactions to the conflict frustrated progressives, moved from expressing his “unwavering support” for Israel and condemning the Hamas attacks, to calling for the protection of “innocent civilians” and journalists, and in support of his latest appeals to Netanyahu. a cease-fire and demands a “significant de-escalation”, a pressure which has earned it strong criticism from Republicans. The White House has marked Netanyahu, who enjoyed unconditional support under the Donald Trump administration, with the change in the political environment in Washington.

Although he never stopped expressing his support for Israel – in fact, the United States blocked a resolution at the United Nations demanding a ceasefire – Biden’s pressure on Netanyahu partly countered the claim. internal pressure on Biden himself.

Republicans decried the turn as further proof that Democrats have adopted a sweeping agenda to steer the country away from historic policies, such as steadfast support for Israel, America’s main ally in the Middle East. Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell completely rejected what he believed was posed as a “Obscene moral equivalence” between Israel and Hamas.

A group of prominent Republican senators, including presidential candidates such as Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, presented a resolution in the Upper House condemning Hamas’s attacks on Israel, opposing its “growing and indiscriminate” attacks and Reaffirming an “unwavering commitment to our ally, Israel and its right to defend itself and its civilians against terrorism.” The resolution omitted any mention of the Palestinians.

Growing Democratic support for Palestinian claims has ended up widening the rift with Republicans, and is ultimately a reflection of deeper change in the United States. Evangelicals, the mainstay of the Republican electorate, strongly support Israel, while the more diverse and urban democratic coalition has become more permeable to Palestinian demands. A Gallup poll last March found that Americans continue to view Israel much more favorably than the Palestinian Authority. But support for the organization led by Mahmoud Abbas has peaked at 30%. And for the first time, a majority of Democrats, 53%, believe the United States should put more pressure on Israel to resolve the historic conflict.