The Politics of Israel in the US

Commentary by Abhinav Santhosh Nambeesan | Edited by Muskaan Mir
Research and Publications Division

In India, pro-Palestinian protests have been held, including by the famously activist students at Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi, but the population has largely remained pro-Israel, while Muslims have not been as active in their support of Palestine as those in America, aside from Kerala¹³, where Muslims form a major part of the electorate.

When the Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu visited Washington DC to speak to a joint session of the US Congress, there were massive protests held by supporters of Palestine demanding an end to American support for Israel. Progressives nationwide have vehemently expressed their opposition after war broke out between Israel and Hamas following the attacks on 7th October. These voices, primarily on the left side of the political spectrum, condemn Israeli actions against Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank and demand that their government stop giving military and economic aid to Israel that they claim is contributing to genocide.

President Joe Biden had become very unpopular after October 2023², especially among young people and Arab-Americans— two key voter demographics for his party— due to his staunch support of Israel and pledge to continue aiding it against Hamas. The Democratic Party’s position on the Israel issue has become key to maintaining its control over the federal government in November, as three demographics that vote in large numbers for it—the youth, Muslims, and Jews—have made this a major priority when they choose who to vote for at the ballot box. Kamala Harris, being the current Vice President, will undoubtably attract similar criticisms, though her ‘honeymoon period’ has not ended for polls to reflect such a trend, if there is one.

For the opposition Republican Party, this issue has become especially significant as apathy among Democrats will undoubtedly benefit them, and the party will remain a staunch supporter of Israel as Evangelical Christians form an overwhelming part of the Republican electorate, who are the strongest supporters of Israel in the US³.

What defines the position of both parties?

The American political landscape is defined by the Democratic Party— broadly socially liberal and economically left-leaning— and the Republican Party— broadly socially conservative and economically right-leaning. Although most politicians in both parties remain moderate and centrist, the Republicans have developed a reputation for becoming more extreme since Trump's election in 2016. When it comes to voters, Democrats tend to be urban, younger, liberal/progressive, and less religious, while Republicans tend to be rural, older, conservative, and more religious. There are some major exceptions, particularly in terms of religion. Due to various historical factors, Protestants tend to support Republicans, while Catholics trend Democrat. Jews and Muslims both have voted Democrat for a long time, giving them a big say in the party’s votes.

The religious divide between the parties is the key to understanding the position they both take. Strong Jewish support for the Democrats goes back to the 1940s⁴, when Franklin Roosevelt won more than 90% of the Jewish vote in two presidential campaigns, transforming the Democrats into a ‘political vehicle’ for Jews in American politics. This support was reflected in foreign policy too—it was the Democratic Party-led government that fought the Second World War from 1941 to 1945 and oversaw the establishment of Israel in 1948, all in favour of Jews. Democrat Harry Truman’s support for the establishment of Israel was another part of why Jews stuck to the party, and till today, Jews have overwhelmingly voted Democrat. With the party in power today, it is imperative for the Harris campaign to not alienate any part of this key demographic, as turnout is extremely important for the general election.

At the same time, Muslims also comprise a substantial segment of their electorate, especially in states like Michigan and Minnesota, where the Muslim population is growing and has the potential to swing key elections towards the party. In a post-9/11 world, when hostilities between Christians and Muslims have grown, Muslims have trended towards the more secular and pluralistic Democratic Party, who also tend to be pro-immigration, which Muslims also identify with. They overwhelmingly support Palestine on this issue, and Democrats now face the challenge of not alienating this demographic while also balancing Jewish support.

Evangelical Christians and the Republicans have maintained their love affair since Ronald Reagan’s presidency in the 1980s, and they remain the party’s key electorate. Evangelicals are strong believers in a Biblical argument for American support for Israel—that is, Armageddon and Jesus’ second coming can only occur if the Jews control the lands of Israel. Because of this belief, they are very staunch in their support for Israel, and so is the Republican Party. In most states, a majority of Protestants are Evangelicals, and their support is crucial for the Republicans to maintain power, as low turnout in that demographic can significantly hurt Republican Donald Trump’s chances in November.

Overall, both parties do support Israel in this issue, even with a sizable chunk of the Democrats opposing funding Israel in the war. In strategic terms, neither party can risk letting go of the country’s only ally in the Middle East against Iran, which is the key base for American operations across the region. Moreover, corporate donors to both parties also have strong ties to Israel.

“Boycott, Divest, Sanction”

In the US, pro-Palestine protests are nothing new. They have been held often for decades, but they became exceedingly frequent after 7th October when citizens began protesting against Israel’s brutal actions in Gaza, particularly the civilian deaths caused by the IDF. The movement has been led by young progressives who feel particularly passionate about their government sending resources to what has been described as an ‘apartheid state.’⁵ However, it is not just the government that supports Israel. American corporations and other institutions have significant financial ties to Israel, which has resulted in a movement known as “Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctioning” to start in the US, where progressives have been demanding that these institutions cut funding with organisations in support of Israel, like they were forced to do with South Africa in 1986.

The BDS movement has resulted in young progressives targeting major universities they study at⁶ that have ties to Israel— including Yale and Columbia— and demanding that they terminate ties to Israeli businesses and the Israeli government. Protests are now commonplace at university campuses, and the harsh response of colleges and the police has evoked anger from students across the country. The most notable instance of severe measures was the crackdown on protests at Columbia University in April, when more than a hundred protestors were arrested by police.

Pro-Palestine protests spread to universities across the country⁶ after the incident at Columbia, and clashes between protesters, counter-protesters, and the police have fueled anger on the progressive side too, particularly due to accusations of antisemitism. The issue of college protests has become a significant challenge for the Democratic Party, as they try to walk the tightrope between not alienating its progressive electorate while also avoiding the appearance of sympathising with Hamas.

AIPAC and the Israel Lobby

Recent events have drawn the attention of progressives to the influence of Israeli lobbyists in American politics, who are quite powerful due to the approval of politically active Jews as well as support from non-Jewish conservatives who support Israel. One organization in particular has become a threat to progressives within the Democratic Party: the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which is one of the strongest lobbying organizations in the US.

While AIPAC is not the only lobbying group in the US that is supportive of Israel, it has begun to financially support campaigns of pro-Israel moderates against progressive Democrats in elections across the country, making them especially controversial in the eyes of Palestine supporters. In the U.S., candidates for general elections are chosen by party members through smaller elections known as primaries. During these elections, candidates are often scrutinised by their own party peers; in a similar fashion, the AIPAC has worked to prevent progressive Democrats from being candidates in the first place⁸ by supporting moderate candidates.

Other lobbying groups have also contributed greatly to pro-Israel politicians, including Christians United For Israel (CUFI), an Evangelical organization that is heavily involved in investing in various projects in Israel that are funded through churches and corporate donations. However, AIPAC has become the face of the pro-Israel political lobby because it specifically targets progressive pro-Palestine politicians.

Opposition Beyond America

While pro-Palestine protests in the US have garnered worldwide attention, it isn’t the only country that has seen protests in favour of Palestine. Across Europe, thousands of people including students have been protesting in solidarity⁹ with the Palestinian cause. The most notable have been in the UK, which has a large population of Muslims who overwhelmingly support Palestine. In fact, in the 2024 general elections, pro-Palestine independents managed to defeat the Labour Party¹⁰ in many constituencies solely on the issue of Gaza.

In India, there has been significant debate on the issue of Palestine, especially as the present Modi government has been more pro-Israel than any government before. India, with its large Muslim population which predominantly feels solidarity with the Palestinian people, had largely been reluctant to adopt a pro-Israel stance since 1950 and had taken many pro-Palestine steps including recognizing the Palestinian state when the PLO declared it in 1988¹¹. However, India has also been cooperating with Israel in recent decades, especially in the realm of defence which notably strengthened their relationship owing to Israel’s strong support for India during the 1999 Kargil War.

With Modi coming to power, the ties between India and Israel have become much stronger and publicly prominent. A possible reason for this is simply ideological. Given the BJP's support for the Hindutva ideology and the rising anti-Muslim sentiments among its electorate, Modi would be more comfortable in furthering relations with Israel. Even so, India has maintained its stance of supporting a two-state solution, with Modi even visiting Ramallah in the West Bank in 2018.¹²

References

1. Khalil, Ashraf; Richer, Alanna Dunkin; “Thousands fill Washington’s streets to protest Israel’s war in Gaza during Netanyahu’s visit.” Associated Press, 25th July 2024
2. Weisman, Johnathan; Igielnik, Ruth; McFadden, Alyce; “Poll finds wide disapproval of Biden on Gaza, and little room to shift gears.” The New York Times, 19th December 2023
3. Zurcher, Anthony, “US evangelicals drive Republican support for Israel.” BBC News, 15th November 2023
4. Oshinsky, David, “‘FDR and the Jews,’ by Richard Breitman and Alan J Lichtman.” The New York Times, 5th April 2023
5. “Israel’s apartheid against Palestinians: A cruel system of domination and a crime against humanity.” Amnesty International, 1st February 2022
6. Binkley, Collin; Leblanc, Steve; Vazquez, Bianca; “Students protesting on campuses across US ask colleges to cut investments supporting Israel.” Associated Press, 25th April 2024
7. “Where college protesters on US campuses have been arrested or detained.” The New York Times, 22nd July 2024
8. Herman, Alice; Greve, Joan; Craft, Will; “Pro-Israel money pours in to unseat progressives in congressional races.” The Guardian, 17th April 2024
9. Kassam, Ashifa, “Clashes and arrests as pro-Palestinian protests spread across European campuses.” The Guardian, 8th May 2024
10. “Pro-Gaza candidates dent Labour’s UK election victory.” Reuters, 5th July 2024
11. Blarel, Nicholas, “How India became pro-Israel.” Time Magazine, 17th November 2023
12. Miglani, Sanjeev, “Modi heads to Palestinian territories to balance warming ties with Israel.” Reuters, 9th February 2018
13. Ameerudheen, T A, “‘Informed solidarity’: Why India’s Kerala saw mass rallies for Palestinians.” Al Jazeera, 15th November 2023