Public Comment

Summary. In the Middle East, two groups of people – Palestinians and Israelis – struggle for self-determination and have been doing so since the early decades of the 20^th century. Failure to recognize the legitimacy of both of these movements will only prolong the suffering and death caused by the conflict. The resolution that was passed by the Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club (WDRC) in late October of this year and the one passed in early November by the Alameda County Democratic Central Committee (ACDCC), wrongly withhold that recognition. 

Yes, Israeli’s war campaign in Gaza (along with amplified settler violence in the West Bank), like the Hamas action that prompted it, is horrendous, as these resolutions affirm. Our objection to the resolutions is that they reach beyond criticism of Israeli policy to call into question the legitimate existence of the state of Israel altogether. 

The predicament facing Democrats – how best to respond to the recent events in Palestine – is fracturing the left in the U.S. and worldwide. We would like our comments in this letter to contribute to an on-going discussion that finds a compassionate and effective political path forward. 

The conflict in Palestine has multiple causes, including most significantly a history of terrible leadership on both sides. There is however, a non-violent peace movement that brings Palestinians and Israelis together in support of peace and justice – a movement that we in the Bay Area can affiliate with and assist. U.S. organizations doing valuable work include: J Street and If Not Now. 

Causes of the Conflict. Because the resolution passed in early November by the ACDCC is modeled after and makes the same argument as the Wellstone resolution, we’ll focus on the Wellstone version in this letter. The Wellstone Club, centered in Berkeley and Oakland, is now 20 years old and to its credit has contributed substantially to valuable causes, including the victories of progressive Democrats at the local, state and federal levels. The Club sometimes makes mistakes, however. Its recently passed resolution oversimplifies the history of the Palestine-Israel conflict, when it states that: 

“Our elected leaders must … Address the root causes underlying this explosion of violence, including decades of institutionalized oppression and collective punishment of Palestinians through brutal military occupation and a 16-year Gaza blockade.” 

This accounting of “root causes” is one-sided; it leaves unmentioned the contributions made to the conflict by Palestinian organizations, Israel’s Arab neighbors, and Iran. While those contributions do not justify Israeli treatment of Palestinians over the past 75 years, it is worth noting that Israel’s policy is in part a response to hostility – including by Hamas – toward the existence of Israel that has continued since the invasion of the new nation by Arab countries in 1948. Hamas’s founding documents still call for a purely Islamic state to rule much of the Middle East, including all of Palestine and what is currently Israel. 

During the Wellstone Dem Club’s discussion of the resolution, an amendment was proposed that affirmed: 

“Israel’s right to exist as a secure and independent nation … the form Israel’s existence takes should respect and protect the civil and political rights of all citizens, including Palestinians and those belonging to other non-Jewish communities.” 

This quite reasonable amendment was voted down, thereby confirming the resolution’s bias. 

Religion in Palestine.  

The conviction that Israel has no right to exist is based sometimes on the claim that Israel was founded on a religion and is today theocratic. In truth, Zionism was basically a nationalist movement, like other nationalist movements in Europe in the 19th century, and many of its advocates were secular, socialist, and atheist. While the Jewish religion in its many shadings wields too much influence in Israel today, the fact is that Israel accepts far more religious diversity than a good number of other nations. In addition to the many religiously Judaic political parties in Israel, there are also recognized Islamic religious parties. Christianity of many denominations and the Druze religion are practiced in Israel. It is true that such pluralism is under attack in Israel, but it is far more threatened in Middle Eastern theocracies like Iran and Saudi Arabia. Although these nations are extremely repressive, no part of the left calls into question their right to exist, as some critics do when it comes to Israel. 

It’s true that Israeli policies are becoming appallingly similar to the policies of its adversaries, and that must change. There has been in fact a kind of collaboration between Hamas and Israel’s current leadership. Notoriously, Prime Minister Netanyahu has for two decades promoted Hamas in order to undermine the authority of the PLO, thereby preventing agreement on a two-state solution. Consequently Israel is today one of the most dangerous places on earth for Jews. The existing Israeli leadership, which promised safety while offering virtually nothing to Palestinians, has enabled Hamas to carry out the October 7 attack—the worst killing of Jews since the Holocaust. Hamas surely planned for such an outcome, so as to increase impassioned antisemitism throughout the Islamic world and in other countries as well. 

The Peace Movement in Palestine. We know that many Wellstone Club members do support the peaceful aspirations of Palestinians and Israelis alike. That support can draw on a recognition – absent in the Wellstone resolution – that the devastating clash of wills today culminates a long history of uncompromising militarism on the part of Arab/Palestinian as well as Israeli parties to the conflict. 

Aiming instead for conciliation, many peace-making organizations today, such as Alliance for Middle East Peace and Combatants for Peace, build connection and solidarity among Palestinians and Jews. Voicing the conviction of many Palestinians and Israelis, Standing Together says: 

“we know that we — the majority — have far more in common than that which sets us apart…. The future that we want — peace and independence for Israelis and Palestinians, full equality for all citizens, and true social, economic, and environmental justice — is possible.” 

This is a non-violent peace movement that bridges cultural and religious differences and that merits our participation and support.