Shaky ‘Vote’ Returns Jerusalem to Dems’ Platform

Republicans Also Facing Platform Problems After Discovering Embassy Pledge Was Removed

Throwing official support behind Israel was the order of the day in Charlotte, as the Democrats quickly revised their official platform to re-include an endorsement of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel after taking a public lashing by Republicans for not having it in.

The move was not only hastily done, but downright ugly, as convention chair Antonio Villaraigosa called three identical voice votes on the issue, and when each audibly failed announced that “the motion is adopted.” It was met with the chorus of boos as the change clearly did not reflect the wishes of convention-goers.

And while the Republicans were chastising Democrats for not having that language in their platform in the first place, it was eventually discovered, because apparently they didn’t check first, that the Republican platform did the same thing, removing a 2008 promise to endorse Jerusalem as the “undivided capital” as well as removing a promise to move the embassy.

The incredible lengths to which party officials on both sides are going to try to make their platforms even more pro-Israel seem primarily motivated by fear of being criticized by the other party. Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren insisted he was satisfied with the loyalty of both US parties, and denied claims he had termed the Republicans “dangerous for Israel.” The leadership seems determined to make wholesale changes to avoid criticism, however, even if convention attendees don’t want to.
 

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.