JDCA: new DNC draft platform is 'strong and supportive of Israel'
The draft maintains US military assistance to Israel while opposing annexation.
By OMRI NAHMIASDemocratic US presidential candidate Joe Biden at a campaign event in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S., July 14, 2020.(photo credit: REUTERS/LEAH MILLIS)
WASHINGTON – The Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA) has welcomed a draft of the Democratic Party’s platform, which expresses “ironclad” commitment to maintain military assistance to Israel while opposing the annexation of parts of the West Bank.It was approved on Wednesday by unanimous consent, and a final vote on the entire platform is expected on July 27.The draft reiterates the US commitment to maintaining a “qualitative military edge” as a part of the 2016 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Additionally, it supports a negotiated two-state solution “that ensures Israel’s future as a Jewish and democratic state with recognized borders and upholds the right of Palestinians to live in freedom and security in a viable state of their own.” The Jewish Insider first reported the draft.The document also notes the party’s opposition to “any unilateral steps by either side – including annexation – that undermine prospects for two states.”“We believe that while Jerusalem is a matter for final status negotiations, it should remain the capital of Israel, an undivided city accessible to people of all faiths,” it reads. “Democrats will restore US-Palestinian diplomatic ties and critical assistance to the Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza, consistent with US law.”Additionally, it states that the party opposes any effort “to unfairly single out and delegitimize Israel, including at the United Nations or through the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement [BDS], while protecting the Constitutional right of our citizens to free speech.”“[The platform] is as strong and as supportive of Israel as the 2016 platform, but also reflects some newer developments which are important,” JDCA Executive Director Halie Soifer told The Jerusalem Post. “It reflects Joe Biden’s support of the MOU and it reflects Democrats’ opposition to efforts to delegitimize Israel whether at the UN or through BDS. And it also reflects concern about unilateral measures on any side, including annexation.”J Street President, Jeremy Ben-Ami, said in a statement that the organization is pleased to see that the draft includes “the first ever articulation, in the platform of a major American political party, of support for Palestinian rights alongside affirmation of support for Israel’s security, and opposition to settlement expansion and unilateral annexation.”“At the same time,” Ben Ami added, “we’re very concerned that the draft apparently makes no reference to Israel’s ongoing occupation of Palestinian territory.” He added that J Street will continue to advocate for a final platform that includes all of these points.
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