The Gaza War... weakens the cohesion of the Democratic Party

The war on Gaza had an explosive and sudden impact on the cohesion of the “democratic” coalition. For decades, the American political body has been divided mainly on social and cultural issues ranging from race and gender to guns and immigration—usually between “Republicans” on one side and “Democrats” on the other.
But foreign policy concerns have rarely been a part of the equation, and never more so than with the eruption of events between Israel and Palestine in recent weeks. But these controversial issues were largely limited to Washington and did not reach the political grassroots.
They remained partisan issues without expanding their scope. However, Hamas's deadly October 7 attack on Israelis and the brutal Israeli attack that has been ongoing for nearly a month and a half were different, as they profoundly affected both communities affected - American Jews and Arab Americans/Palestinians. Scenes and reports that documented what happened during the current and past months horrified the Jewish community and aroused in it painful past traumas and feelings of weakness. The devastating Israeli bombing of Gaza and the genocidal language used by Israeli leaders have left Palestinians and Arabs in a state of shock and anger. With thousands killed, half the housing in Gaza City destroyed, and hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fleeing to an uncertain future in the impoverished southern part of the Strip, Palestinians and Arab Americans saw the Nakba unfolding in real time.
Here too was weakness and shock. This drama had a partisan dimension among the Republicans, fueled by their extreme right-wing Christian base that stands with Israel. But while Democratic elected officials who have long respected the pro-Israel lobby have shown their support for Israel, the party's base has been divided. Pro-Palestinian demonstrations erupted across the country, culminating in a massive rally in Washington, an unprecedented outpouring of support for the Palestinians. It is worth noting that the mobilization demanding a ceasefire and supporting Palestinian rights was unusually diverse, as it included large groups of young Jewish Americans, Arabs, blacks, Latinos, and Asian Americans.
What is unfolding in Gaza and here in the United States has resonated with the same constituencies that have long been seen as essential to “democratic” electoral victories. When political leader Jesse Jackson raised the issue of Palestinian rights during his presidential run in the 1980s, and when Bernie Sanders did the same in the past decade, they mobilized support. But support today is similar to the mass mobilization we saw in the Women's March, the anti-Trump Muslim ban, and the Movement for Black Lives.
However, those demonstrations were Democratic mobilizations and faced little opposition from the party leadership. These pro-Palestinian demonstrations have turned into an intra-party conflict, as pro-Israel groups seek to threaten, insult and punish those who criticize the Israeli attack on Gaza. The party was already divided on Palestinian rights before October 7, with Democrats having more positive attitudes toward Palestinians than toward Israelis.
As the horrors of the Israeli response to the massacre committed by Hamas against civilians became clear, opinion polls showed that a majority of Democrats opposed the Israeli response and wanted a ceasefire. Key groups such as youth and people of color remain supportive of the Palestinians. With pro-Israel groups taking repressive measures against students and others, and announcing they will spend millions to defeat members of Congress who speak out against Israel or support Palestinian rights, a real rupture in the “democratic” coalition is possible.
The congressional representatives being threatened are all young men of color, and the image of a pro-Israel group threatening to spend money (raised from a handful of billionaire donors - including some Republicans) will not appeal to other Democrats. For the party leadership to succeed in 2024 and beyond, it must intervene to quell this behavior. You can encourage discussion and rational discourse, but stop the threats before the division becomes too deep and it is too late to back down.