Democrats Squabble Over Word ‘Occupation’ in Israel Platform Plank

[bemildred]

WASHINGTON ( JTA ) — The Democratic Party’s platform drafting committee tussled over whether to use the word “occupation” in addressing the Israeli-Palestinian issue, reflecting divisions between the Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton camps that could play out at the convention.

The Democratic National Committee held two days of open hearings this week in Washington, D.C., on the platform, inviting experts to testify. The hearings, which will also take place in other cities, got underway the same week that it became clear that Clinton had secured her position as the party’s presumptive presidential nominee.

Much of the back and forth Thursday afternoon, when the committee considered foreign policy, was about whether the committee should describe Israel’s presence in the West Bank as an “occupation.”

Sanders, the Independent senator from Vermont who remains in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, appointed five members to the 15-member committee, including three who have advocated for Palestinian rights in the past: Cornel West, a philosopher who backs for the boycott Israel movement; James Zogby, the president of the Arab American Institute, and Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn. Clinton appointed six committee members.

http://forward.com/news/breaking-news/342516/democrats-squabble-over-word-occupation-in-israel-platform-plank/

[oberliner]

1. This will be interesting

Strong, opinionated people on both sides.

[bemildred]

2. A conversation long overdue.

And Bernie seems like the ideal guy to bring it up for discussion, being Jewish and progressive and having established political support.

[oberliner]

3. Bernie isn't really taking part in the conversation

His team, led by Cornel West and James Zogby, among others, seem to be taking up the fight.

Granted, Bernie did select those people to represent his campaign.

[bemildred]

4. Right, they aren't Jewish either, Cornel and Zogby. nt

[oberliner]

5. Exactly

I think it would be stronger if Bernie himself were more engaged in the discussion.

He seems not as passionate about the I/P issue as he is about the more central issues of his campaign.

[bemildred]

6. I don't think he sees it as the most important thing. nt

[Little Tich]

7. How can there be two states if Israel isn't occupying anything?

If the Democratic Party’s platform drafting committee decides that the occupied territories aren't occupied, then I'll believe even less in a future two-state solution than I do now.

[bemildred]

8. The reason they don't like calling it an occupation is because that entails legal

responsibilities to the Palestinians and their welfare, no colonies, no displacements, that are not being met.

And that seems to be about as far as they bother to go with that, they just don't want to use that word.

[Little Tich]

9. I hope the Bernie Democrats get their say on the Committee.

It's not really about Israel - as long as the progressive POW is at least fairly represented in general, that's good enough for me.

[bemildred]

10. I think generally it is not a good idea to use force to make people shutup.

And I think we have come a long way from the Kibbutzniks.