Activists who disagree with President Joe Biden over Israel's war with Hamas want to take their pressure campaign from the voting box to the Democratic Party platform at this summer's Chicago nominating conference.
Many activists and party insiders expect the Biden campaign to wage a bitter, contentious political struggle for months until the Democratic National Convention.
Progressive Democrats want to change the party platform by asking for Senate filibuster reform, declaring a climate emergency, and abolishing private election finance. The Gaza Strip battle and possible U.S. military aid to Israel will be the most divisive issues as Democrats prepare for their convention in August.
Joseph Geevarghese, executive director of Our Revolution, which grew out of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders' first presidential campaign, said, “We're gearing up for a fight and we're drawing a line in the sand, though we hope it doesn't come.
The Democratic National Committee has not disclosed its 2024 platform development process. A DNC official stated the party “will engage diverse voices from across the Democratic coalition.”
“The Democratic Party platform will reflect President Biden’s vision for how we can move our nation forward,” spokesperson Hannah Muldavin told , noting domestic challenges and “advancing safety and security at home and abroad.”
Biden's approach to Israel's battle with Hamas differs with an increasing number of Democrats, including some of the president's allies in Congress. Progressive activists want the platform to link future U.S. military funding to a Gaza truce.
Biden hasn't conditioned or withheld military aid to Israel to modify Netanyahu's course. In exchange for Hamas hostages, the president has called for a Gaza ceasefire. His party activists want a ceasefire without hostages.
Geevarghese highlighted that Chicago was the site of the 1968 Democratic convention, where left-wing antiwar demonstrators clashed with police, creating a potential conflict at a Democratic convention for the first time in decades.
Re-election campaigns want to limit disturbance and outside protests, and the only way to do so is serious policy revisions on Israel, he said.
Follow for more updates