“To cast the Democratic debate over Israel as a two-sided struggle between supporters and critics is to miss the growing frustration across the party’s factions with the policies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Reactions to the 11 days of violence between Israel and Hamas, the dominant Palestinian force in Gaza, underscore the new array of forces as even supporters of Israel expressed alarm over the death toll, and urged President Biden to pressure Netanyahu for the cease-fire that finally took effect Friday.”

“Biden, whose sympathy for Israel dates to the dawn of his political career, opted for quiet diplomacy that became, courtesy of intentional leaks to the media, more public as the killing continued. The president’s efforts were bolstered as Israel’s long-standing friends expressed horror over the events that led to the deaths of an estimated 264 Palestinians and 12 Israelis. The dominant story line about the conflict’s impact on U.S. politics has focused on the faceoff between Israel’s staunchest Democratic supporters and a growing group of progressives who are sharply critical of Israel and outspoken about Palestinian rights. The progressives’ voice was amplified when Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), the lone Palestinian American member of Congress, cornered Biden for eight minutes on Tuesday during the president’s visit to her state, pressing her view.”

“Tlaib has denounced Israel’s policies as ‘apartheid’ and ‘racist,’ and has abandoned the two-state solution – the longtime consensus position in U.S. politics as the foundation for peace – in favor of a single state with a Palestinian majority. Biden chose not to pick a fight, instead praising her ‘intellect’ and ‘passion.’ The ranks of Israel’s harshest critics have certainly grown, but the more important change is among Democrats who stoutly defend Israel’s existence but have taken increasingly forceful stands against its policies. This shift is reflected in the rising influence among Democrats of J Street, a peace-minded pro-Israel group often at odds with the current Israeli government – relative to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which almost never challenges Israeli authorities” – Washington Post.