The Israel lobby built its strength on the fact that its opposition was politically weak. Kamala Harris’s choice of Tim Walz over Josh Shapiro and the massive cost it took to defeat Jamaal Bowman and Cori Bush show this is no longer the case.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s call for continued support for the Gaza genocide may have received rapturous applause from Congress, but the speech revealed uncertain political terrain for Israel among both Democrats and Republicans.
The student protests erupting across American universities represent something far beyond a cyclical wave of campus activism. They reflect a profound political crisis that has laid bare the fractures within the Democratic Party.
Democrats are fracturing over support for Israel, because their constituents don’t support it. The long-term result might be the end of the bipartisan consensus on Israel.
In a dangerous precedent, the House of Representatives passed a controversial bill equating anti-Zionism with antisemitism. Pro-Israel lawmakers quickly followed with a bill to establish a congressional commission aimed at Palestine solidarity.
Multiple Democrats recently rejected the suggestion that aid to Israel be conditioned over human rights abuses, but a vast majority of voters back the idea.
The liberation of Palestine transcends geographical boundaries and has become synonymous with the liberation of the U.S. South, where activists are fighting a shared struggle for freedom and justice in the face of overwhelming odds.
As Israel experiences its greatest crisis in 50 years, the Israel lobby has risen to the occasion. But despite its best efforts, the lobby is now up against foes it has never had before, and that in the long run will defeat it.
AIPAC’s favorite Senate Democrat, New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez, may lose his seat following a second major corruption scandal. This could be an opportunity for Palestinian rights advocates.
With the most important political shifts in 30 years taking place in Israel, the U.S., and China, perhaps 2023 will be remembered as the year tangible political momentum shifted for Palestine.