The California Democratic Party rejected proposed anti-Israel changes to their platform during a March 6 committee meeting, and instead ratified language strengthening their commitment to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The anti-Israel language, according to a source close to the situation, would have said: “Replace one-sided military and diplomatic support for de facto annexation and domination with a policy aimed at engaging Israeli and Palestinian representatives, along with international partners, toward a political solution that guarantees human rights, equality, security and democracy for all. Israeli Jews and Palestinians alike deserve peace, dignity, self-determination, security and a normal life free from occupation, discrimination, terror and incitement. Pursue reconciliation through restorative justice, which must include the right of all those who were forced from their homes to return to their homelands and receive compensation for their losses.” It also would have called for a “right of return” for “all refugees.”
Instead, the language that was passed denounced those who hold a group of people responsible “for the acts of a foreign government” and called for “a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict directly negotiated by the parties that guarantees equality, security and democracy for all; recognizes Israel’s future as a secure and democratic Jewish state with recognized borders; and, provides Palestinians with independence, sovereignty, and dignity.” The platform also called for rejoining the 2015 Iran nuclear deal “with the ultimate goal of preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon or a mechanism for delivery of nuclear weapons, and discourage the further proliferation of nuclear weapons in the region, encourage democratic forces in Iran, and strive to restore normal U.S.-Iran relations.”
“Democrats for Israel applauds the Calfornia Democratic Party’s passage of platform language that reiterates 2020 language supporting a Two State Solution with Israel as a Jewish Democratic State,” Democrats for Israel President Andrew Lachman said in a statement. “The Middle East was the most touched-on topic during the public comment process with over 150 Democrats presenting testimony on this topic with 80% of the testimony supporting the 2020 language in some form. In addition, over 500 Californians signed a petition calling for support of the current platform language on Israel without a floor fight. With this strong statement, anti-Israel activists found it nearly impossible to argue their position was a majority position, no attempts were made to bring changes to the floor.”
The Progressive Zionists of California also said in an email to supporters that they are “pleased that the 2022 California Democratic Party has adopted a platform that strongly supports a two-state solution, and rejects any attempts to unilaterally impose a one state solution – from either Israelis or Palestinians. A petition led by Progressive Zionists of California had nearly 600 signatures, making it known that the reactionary language anti-Israel activists wished to include is not what most California Democrats support.” They also thanked the party platform committee “for conducting their operations with the utmost transparency, encouraging Democrats from every region in the state to provide written and oral testimony on all platform planks.”
