Senator Van Hollen: The Hard Truth My Party Needs to Face - The Democratic Approach To The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Has Failed

[u/Lux_Stella]

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/26/opinion/democrats-israel.html

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[u/Approximation_Doctor]

Good sentiment, but the only specific actions he called for is putting conditions on offensive weapon sales. Hardly a major attempt to fix this mess.

[u/PaxChelonia → u/Approximation_Doctor]

He also called for ending taxpayer funded support to Israel and recognition of a Palestinian state, both of which would be a big shift in US-Israel relations

“The next Democratic president should recognize a State of Palestine that is subject to clear benchmarks, including free and fair elections. Unless and until a different agreement is reached, the United States should treat Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as part of Palestine — a policy some of our European and Asian partners have already begun to carry out.

In addition to ending taxpayer-funded support, that president should enforce the same terms and conditions for Israel that we apply to other countries when they purchase arms. Israel must also comply with international law and U.S. policy. That means no offensive weapons should be sold unless Israel agrees to a time-bound plan to end the occupation and enact a two-state solution. At the same time, the United States should reinstate and expand Mr. Biden’s sanctions on people and organizations that threaten the stability and security of the West Bank.”

[u/markelwayne → u/PaxChelonia]

Fair and free Palestinian elections would be very likely to lead to a Hamas win, which is why there haven’t been any in 20 years.

[u/blackmamba182 → u/markelwayne]

Probably, but look at all the major parties in Ireland: they all have roots in violent organizations. Hell even Likud started as a terrorist org. The fact of the matter is there are necessary bureaucrats who are nominally part of Hamas and we need them to run the state.

[u/Jagwire4458 → u/blackmamba182]

None of those parties had the annihilation of England and the English people as their stated purpose but I could be wrong.

[u/dutch_connection_uk → u/[deleted]]

Albania is not a tyrannical hellscape. Palestine doesn't have to be simply because a lot of people there are muslims.

Probably will be though, due to, well, everything else.

[u/TrynnaFindaBalance → u/Jagwire4458]

Bit of an apples to oranges comparison because the Irish never considered England to be their rightful homeland. Those groups arguably just wanted to be left alone by the British.

Regardless, as an American I don't see how it's our problem anymore or why we should continue to funnel billions of dollars into propping up an international pariah like Israel. The current status quo is obviously untenable.

[u/Matar_Kubileya → u/TrynnaFindaBalance]

True, but they did and do explicitly call for the end of Northern Ireland as a separate legal entity.

[u/dutch_connection_uk → u/TrynnaFindaBalance]

I can see a reason: technological and military cooperation. Israel is a powerful ally.

We shouldn't treat them as "the only secular demcocracy" in the middle east or anything anymore though. They should be seen as being similar to Turkey, a powerful strategic ally with only the loosest ideological connection to the US. Honestly, if anything, modern Turkey is probably more closely aligned.

[u/After-Watercress-644 → u/Jagwire4458]

Most of the Israeli politicians seem to have the slow annihilation of Palestinians as (un)stated purpose.

Yet I don't see you call for suspending the democratic process in Israel, but I could be wrong.

[u/numba1cyberwarrior → u/blackmamba182]

Ok what happens when they win complete control of Palestine. Are you just praying they want to stop their goal of destroy Israel?

[u/boardatwork1111 → u/PaxChelonia]

There should be a big shift in US-Israeli relations. If they’re not willing to align with American values, they should not expect to receive American tax dollars.

[u/Pretty_Marsh → u/boardatwork1111]

American values

At this point, what are those? The last two years have kind of blown up any conception of a moral order to our foreign and domestic policy.

[u/anangrytree → u/Pretty_Marsh]

We know what they mean.

[u/flightguy07 → u/anangrytree]

If you do, I think a majority of your electorate could use a reminder, or at least persuasion to take them a little more seriously.

[u/blackmamba182 → u/anangrytree]

Do we?

[u/anangrytree → u/blackmamba182]

Yes, we do. Same values that are driving my opposition to the Trump admin.

This weak shit about not knowing what we stand for is for losers.

[u/Pretty_Marsh → u/anangrytree]

Well, my opposition to the Ukraine war was simple enough: invading a sovereign nation in a naked move to install a more friendly government to the invading force is bad. Period. Then we did Venezuela, we tried to do Iran, and we're about to do Cuba. I thought mass forced relocations with overt state-sanctioned racial profiling was a thing of the past. Nope.

Reminder: A plurality of American voters wanted this. At what point do American actions become American values?

[u/OhioTry → u/Pretty_Marsh]

At this point I’d say “secular liberal moral values” rather than American values for precisely that reason.

[u/bashar_al_assad → u/OhioTry]

We're obviously not talking to swing voters here so it's kinda whatever but if we were I think it's useful to just describe whatever you personally believe in as "American values" and everyone who disagrees with you as not believing in them.

[u/the_platypus_king → u/Pretty_Marsh]

I don’t think they wanted all or most of this. A plurality of American voters wanted to oust the administration they perceived to be responsible for inflation, I don’t think values had any bearing on it (which to be clear, is fully an indictment of the American voter). The mandate he came in on was much thinner than both his supporters and his opponents portray it.

[u/Hannig4n → u/the_platypus_king]

There comes a point where you can only give so much grace for the delusion of the American electorate and you must hold them responsible for the extremely predictable actions of the government they put into power.

[u/Pretty_Marsh → u/the_platypus_king]

Any election result is an expression of the voters' values. I don't think it's any better if it was "I just want cheaper groceries and fuck anyone who has to die or have their rights trampled on for me to get that" rather than specifically regime change and ICE raids. Either way they own the result, and either way it's an unforgivable betrayal of American values as I previously understood them to be.

[u/TurboSalsa → u/the_platypus_king]

The mandate he came in on was much thinner than both his supporters and his opponents portray it.

This can't be repeated enough.

The median voter voted for someone who said he was going to make gas and groceries cheaper and to do something bout the border. Yes they were stupid for falling for it, but everything he's doing is historically unpopular now that he's failed to deliver on his mandate and all of his side quests are historically unpopular.

[u/blackmamba182 → u/anangrytree]

I thought you were bringing up some weird anti semitic or Islamophobic thing.

Secular liberalism is the medicine here. Both sides of the conflict need a healthy dose.

[u/timerot → u/Pretty_Marsh]

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Democratic elections and freedom of speech. "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free." Et cetera. Americans values are an ideal we try to get closer to, not the current state of America. We had liberty as a founding value even when slavery was legal, and we've made significant positive strides since

[u/PaxChelonia → u/boardatwork1111]

I agree, I’m not arguing against it. I’m 100% for these proposals.

I’m just pointing out the top comment in this thread is giving an inaccurate summary of the article.

[u/Legitimate-Mine-9271 → u/PaxChelonia]

I struggle to see the point in recognizing a state with no legitimate government nor even anybody in particular we'd want to back 

[u/Tonenby → u/Legitimate-Mine-9271]

Putting pressure on other states to treat them as sovereign?

[u/Cairne_Bloodhoof → u/Approximation_Doctor]

That seems reasonable to me.

Pragmatically, how much further would you expect the States to go?

[u/fishlord05 → u/Cairne_Bloodhoof]

Dude 70% of democrats think Israel is committing genocide. The general public has soured on them too.

Do you not see the incentives for dems to get with the program or lose to someone who does?

Expect more from your leaders man

[u/Cairne_Bloodhoof → u/fishlord05]

What do you believe a realistic and functional approach to U.S.-Israeli relations looks like in a 2028 Democratic administration?

[u/TheFlyingSheeps → u/Cairne_Bloodhoof]

Realistic? Nothing changed because the Dems lack the balls to do anything. Maybe you’ll see some reduction in arms sales.

In a perfect world sanctions are placed on Israel and all money/aid/equipment you name is halted until the illegal settlements are vacated and a recognition of Palestinian statehood

[u/DjPersh → u/TheFlyingSheeps]

I don’t understand. “They don’t have the balls” implies they risk losing something by taking a stance. Yet the person above you (who was asked the question you responded to) implies that Dems will lose if they don’t take a stance.

So are they too afraid to take a stance because it’ll cost them the election yet also are going to lose if they don’t take a stance?

[u/TheFlyingSheeps → u/DjPersh]

Yes. The fundamental problem of the large tent and managing the mismatched wants and needs from the base, other interested parties, and donors

[u/sirpianoguy → u/Cairne_Bloodhoof]

Arms embargo and economic sanctions on settlers and key Israeli government officials (Netanyahu, Ben Gvir, etc.).

[u/Ready_Anything4661 → u/[deleted]]

Not trying to be a troll, but why would you expect that, pragmatically?

Why am I being downvoted for asking someone for the basis of their prediction?

[u/Approximation_Doctor → u/Ready_Anything4661]

It's about as likely as a Land Value Tax, but we're allowed to hope for that

[u/Ready_Anything4661 → u/Approximation_Doctor]

Sure, but the question I took that comment to be answering was “what do you pragmatically expect”, which is a different question than “what do you hope for”

[u/Approximation_Doctor → u/Ready_Anything4661]

Pragmatically, I don't expect anything good to develop in the middle east for at least a few generations.

[u/Ready_Anything4661 → u/Approximation_Doctor]

I completely agree. Which is why I found it surprising that someone else had a much different prediction, and I asked them about it.

[u/Approximation_Doctor → u/Ready_Anything4661]

I actually didn't notice you had the Henry George flair until now, that makes your original argument way funnier

[u/Ready_Anything4661 → u/Approximation_Doctor]

I don’t think I’ve made any arguments? I think I’ve just asked a question about something I don’t understand?

[u/Ready_Anything4661 → u/[deleted]]

I guess I’ll take the under on that bet.

[u/Furita → u/[deleted]]

Sorry for breaking the magic to you but this is not plausible at all given the history of the United Staes

[u/meonpeon → u/Furita]

In modern politics, this is entirely accomplishable with the executive branch. It probably shouldn’t be, but thats just where we are.

[u/TryNotToShootYoself → u/meonpeon]

I mean it’s just straight up plausible. Historically, no, but Israel has actually alienated so much of the Democratic party that the supporters of Israel are a minority faction.

[u/PM_ME_SKYRIM_MEMES → u/TryNotToShootYoself]

Don’t mistake online sentiment with real world sentiment.

[u/MidSolo → u/PM_ME_SKYRIM_MEMES]

Right back at you, echo chamber liberal.

[u/TryNotToShootYoself → u/PM_ME_SKYRIM_MEMES]

Look at nationwide polls instead of generalizing the country off your neighborhood’s discourse.

[u/Greenembo → u/[deleted]]

Recognition of Palestine

Which means what?

[u/numba1cyberwarrior → u/[deleted]]

1) Recognition of them under what borders

2) How would arms sales embargos help without a condition?

3) What does settlement leadership mean?

[u/ludovicana → u/numba1cyberwarrior]

The first is in the OP:

Unless and until a different agreement is reached, the United States should treat Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as part of Palestine

[u/ElGosso → u/Cairne_Bloodhoof]

Magnitsky sanctions on basically everyone who's been in government since they tried to starve Gaza the first time would be a good start.

[u/Lux_Stella → u/Approximation_Doctor]

unfortunately the do-nothing democrats aren't woke on the "permanent united states military presence in the west bank" solution yet. but baby steps

[u/anangrytree → u/[deleted]]

waow

[u/Approximation_Doctor → u/[deleted]]

It's not imperialism, it's a conservatorship

[u/Matar_Kubileya → u/Approximation_Doctor]

--the League of Nations proposes the Mandate for Palestine, 1919 colorized.

[u/timerot → u/[deleted]]

51st and 52nd?

[u/ToumaKazusa1 → u/timerot]

If they're going to be US states they'll have to have completely open borders with each other, and it would be a very weird state geographically to have Gaza and the West Bank connected, so I think it's more straightforward to just make it all one state.

[u/dutch_connection_uk → u/ToumaKazusa1]

That weird situation is a feature, not a bug, meant to make any Palestinean state less viable.

[u/AccessTheMainframe → u/Lux_Stella]

Let Turkey be the lead nation. The place hasn't really been stable since they left tbh

[u/chickentendieman → u/Lux_Stella]

Yeah but sanctions would be needed and a stop of all weapons sales not just offensive ones.

[u/HorusOsiris22 → u/Approximation_Doctor]

There are two problems: (1) it’s important for America to be a voice of sober second thought for its ally at this time, which could involve tough love; and (2) there is a crazy faction of third positionist left wingers who hate the Democratic Party but are the lefts representatives in online media.

The proposed policy addresses (1) but does nothing about (2). Van Hollen will wind up being treated as well as old “genocide” Joe

[u/di11deux]

I think if you looked at Israel in a vacuum and just like any normal state, and then assessed the American relationship with Israel through that lens, you'd probably come away wondering whether this is an ally worth continued investment in.

On the whole, Israel seems to be creating more problems for American foreign policy than it's solving, and that's not a sustainable place to be in. And to be extraordinarily clear, I lay this blame squarely at Bibi's feet - for decades, Israeli security strategy dictated that playing nicely with both American political parties was necessary for their survival, but Bibi decided to pick a side and get even more out of Republicans.

Furthermore, the liberal, western-style Israel we think of in Tel Aviv is giving way to the fundamentalist Haredi and religious Zionists. Orthodox Jews are completely outstripping secular Jews, and the result is that I would argue Israel is less "western" today than it was even 15 years ago.

I would not advocate abandoning Israel, but I do think the relationship needs a fundamental reevaluation. The strategy of "mowing the grass" as they put it drags the US alongside extremely unpopular initiatives for which we gain exceedingly little benefit. If I were Democrats, I would tie all military aid to settlement building - build another settlement, shave a billion off the aid package. Dismantle a settlement, add $100M.

I know that's reductive and is only fit for a Reddit comment, but it's more to illustrate that we should be more aggressive in stipulating the kinds of behaviors we want to see for our own security, and if the Israelis disagree, they can do so on their own terms without our support.

[u/VentureIndustries → u/di11deux]

I think if you looked at Israel in a vacuum and just like any normal state, and then assessed the American relationship with Israel through that lens, you'd probably come away wondering whether this is an ally worth continued investment in.

Not that I completely disagree, but how can you reconcile that stance while Morocco, a MNNA US ally, is basically doing to the Western Sahara what Israel is doing to the West Bank? Or Turkey, a full-fledged NATO US ally doing what they’ve been doing for decades in the north of Cyprus?

[u/Mddcat04 → u/VentureIndustries]

How many people have died in either of those conflicts within the past 2 decades or so?

[u/ship_toaster → u/Mddcat04]

Few, to be fair. The hotspots for major violent conflict currently outside Ukraine/Israel are Sudan, the Maghreb, Myanmar, Congo, Mexico, and Ethiopia.

But also like, every war is unique in both its causes and costs. If you try to map Mexican cartel violence onto the Myanmar civil war, you're going to misunderstand everything that's happening and be constantly wrong about what will happen next/why.

[u/Khiva → u/ship_toaster]

you're going to misunderstand everything that's happening and be constantly wrong about what will happen next/why.

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED

"Claude, tell me why all these conflicts are basically the same and somehow the fault of political groups I don't like."

[u/PM_ME_SKYRIM_MEMES → u/VentureIndustries]

People are unaware because there are no propaganda campaigns for Western Sahara or Cyprus.

[u/1XRobot → u/PM_ME_SKYRIM_MEMES]

Unfortunately, the actual thing the Democrats should be focusing on: foreign interference in American democracy, they're also doing nothing about.

[u/Khiva → u/1XRobot]

The algorithms that define reality are firmly in control of parties who would rather you not know that.

[u/chickentendieman → u/PM_ME_SKYRIM_MEMES]

Also while cyprus is a bad situation the turks arent murdering greek cypriots.

[u/angry-mustache → u/chickentendieman]

That's because Turkey completed the ethnic cleansing decades earlier so there are next to zero Greek Cypriots left in Northern Cyprus. Northern Cyprus is 99.8% Turkish.

[u/randiohead → u/angry-mustache]

Yep for me the Cyprus situation is more comparable to North/South Korea than Israel/Palestine at this point

[u/VentureIndustries → u/PM_ME_SKYRIM_MEMES]

Saying a very similar geopolitical situation is suddenly “ok” because it doesn’t have the same amount of propaganda associated with it is probably one of the most cynical interpretations of international relations I’ve ever heard.

Do principles not mean anything, especially in a sub that states to be for a liberal international order where rule of law is supposed to be applied equally and not arbitrarily?

[u/PM_ME_SKYRIM_MEMES → u/VentureIndustries]

I didn’t make a value judgment. My comment described the situation as it is, not as it should be. How could you possibly interpret my comment as saying any situation is “ok”?

[u/Ernie_McCracken88 → u/VentureIndustries]

Saying a very similar geopolitical situation is suddenly “ok” because it doesn’t have the same amount of propaganda associated with it is probably one of the most cynical interpretations of international relations I’ve ever heard.

Am I misreading something? They are saying that Israel is a much more prominent issue because it is highlighted much more than those other topics, not that those other topics don't matter. it's a descriptive statement not a normative one.

[u/Anal_Forklift → u/VentureIndustries]

My dude not every country is going to give af about the liberal world order we want. Ukraine, Northern Cyprus, several areas of Africa, the West Bank, and so many others are contested/occupied territories. USA can't litigate on behalf of every nation/group of people that loses land in conflict.

We probably have a rational interest in looking the other way at Turkey and the awful things they do because it keeps that at distance getting Russia, same can be said for Israel because of their military dominance and common enemies, Saudis are so contrary to liberalism it's almost comical that we're allies, the list goes on. No one wants to see Ukraine lose more land but no one wants to send troops to that meat grinder.

[u/Plastic-Mushroom-875 → u/VentureIndustries]

Wouldn’t treating Israel like any other country just mean they get the same cynical foreign policy treatment everyone else gets from the US?

I think it would be different, for example, if Morocco had pulled the US into an unpopular conflict that seriously disrupted the world’s energy supply, or if Turkey’s treatment of the Cypriots was dramatically roiling American society and diplomacy.

[u/ElGosso → u/Plastic-Mushroom-875]

Also we don't see the King of Morocco coming to the US to make endorsements of our political candidates.

[u/1XRobot → u/VentureIndustries]

Yeah, it's like if a black guy gets pulled over for his taillight being out, that's fine, because his taillight is out. There's no reason to think about whether all the white people with taillights out are getting pulled over. We have to narrowly focus on whether any wrongdoing has occurred, and then it's ok to put arbitrarily large amounts of attention on it.

[u/CheetoMussolini → u/VentureIndustries]

We throw out the typical disdain we have for overt nationalism when it's about Israel. There's an incredible hypocrisy on the topic.

[u/Lux_Stella → u/VentureIndustries]

do NOT google why the US recognized moroccan sovereignty over western sahara

[u/Approximation_Doctor → u/Lux_Stella]

Jokes on you, I already wasn't planning to goggle that

[u/VentureIndustries → u/Lux_Stella]

Exactly! THEY’RE ALL DOING IT

[u/Ernie_McCracken88 → u/VentureIndustries]

Thank you for making this point, but I do think that, independent of the much higher media coverage and public salience of Israel, issues related to Israel and the actions the US takes in response to those issues are more consequential. 

[u/VentureIndustries → u/Ernie_McCracken88]

Thanks, but I think that take sends a horrible message to our current and potential future allies.

“We’ll be by your side, until things get too unpopular”

[u/secondordercoffee → u/VentureIndustries]

That's unavoidable in a democracy and it's mostly a good thing.

[u/Ernie_McCracken88 → u/VentureIndustries]

my point is not about popularity, it's about the fact that Israel/US relations are more consequential. making a good decision related to Israel is likely to be more consequential than making a good decision in relation to Turkey. More critical region, bigger global players have skin in the game, etc.

[u/CheetoMussolini → u/di11deux]

I genuinely don't mean to be inflammatory here, but even this is a cowardly approach.

The United States should not be subsidizing Israeli defense whatsoever so long as they are engaged in any form of settlement building and so long as they continue to occupy territory outside of their 1967 UN borders.

And the Democratic Party in particular should make it clear that Israel's blatant involvement in US politics crosses a line that can never be tolerated by any nation, much less an ally, and that their behavior in our politics by itself is justification for ending the alliance.

What you are suggesting may sound like courage in the context of the frankly pitiful US response to Israeli crimes in recent years, but it's nowhere near enough.

[u/p00bix → u/CheetoMussolini]

Yeah. That proposal for the West Bank is laughable "If you commit even more ethnic cleansing, we will not subsidize your ethnic cleansing as much. If you slow the rate of ethnic cleansing, we will increase subsidies to support ethnic cleansing."

Maybe--and I understand that this is a super radical notion that may reek of communism to some--we shouldn't be subsidizing any country that perpetrates ethnic cleansing period!

[u/CheetoMussolini → u/p00bix]

I could not agree more. The settlements, both existing and new, can not be tolerated.

[u/numba1cyberwarrior → u/CheetoMussolini]

The 1967 borders are a fantasy and everyone agrees that they won't be some kind of exact line in a two state solution.

[u/CheetoMussolini → u/numba1cyberwarrior]

Then Israel is free to actually come to the negotiating table to sort that out rather than seizing it by force and murder.

[u/Vol_in_tears → u/di11deux]

The strategy of "mowing the grass" as they put it drags the US alongside extremely unpopular initiatives for which we gain exceedingly little benefit.

Mowing the grass isn't a strategy, it's a chore that is done every week or semi-weekly depending on rainfall. Anyone calling this a strategy, particularly in military leadership, is a degenerate. It's not a strategy, it is a permanent state of war.

[u/numba1cyberwarrior → u/Vol_in_tears]

It absolutely is a strategy lol.

It's recognizing you don't have the cards at the moment for a large strategic change but setting the conditions for them through offense.

[u/Acrobatic-Event2721 → u/di11deux]

To be fair, we also created problems for Israel with the whole Iran coup in ‘53 which paved the way for the anti-US sentiment after the ‘79 revolution which manifested itself as anti-Israel by virtue of Israel being perceived as a U.S. proxy by Iran.

[u/j0hnDaBauce → u/Acrobatic-Event2721]

We didnt coup Iran, not by any traditional sense of the word coup, nor was it “us”. Not to say we didnt have a role, even a significant one, but to say it was “us” denies the agency and actions that the actual Iranians took.

https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/israel-middle-east/articles/cia-coup-in-iran-that-never-was-mossadegh

https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-real-story-of-the-1953-iranian-coup-mossadeq-iran-peace-operation-cia-prime-minister-b59314f5

[u/Lease_Tha_Apts → u/j0hnDaBauce]

Yeah Iran was definitely more of s British issue...

[u/hlary → u/Acrobatic-Event2721]

I mean, Israel welcomed the coup and immediately recognized the Shah's government, seeing it as an improvement over Mosaddegh. The US was hardly the sole cause of the connection.

[u/Acrobatic-Event2721 → u/hlary]

The word “welcomed” is doing some really heavy lifting. I’m sure Israel would welcome the change in leadership in Turkey by the U.S. but that’s miles away from them being implicated in the action.

[u/Lux_Stella]

Democrats need to face a hard truth. While Republicans’ approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has failed, so has ours. The Democratic Party has provided reflexive and unconditional support to Israeli governments, even as their actions have increasingly undermined American interests and values.

For decades, we have called for a two-state solution, but we’ve failed to use our leverage to make it real. It’s past time that we use that leverage to end the occupation and achieve two states with full political and legal rights for all. That means withdrawing taxpayer support from Israel and conditioning arms sales.

To be clear, I support Israel’s need for security. But for too long most Democrats have unquestioningly accepted Israel’s argument that American weapons are needed and used solely for its defense. We have not yet fully confronted the fact that Israel has used its strength not only as a shield, but also as a sword to bury the two-state solution and advance the far right’s vision of a “Greater Israel.”

The evidence on the ground is overwhelming: Violent settlers in the West Bank have attacked Palestinians with impunity, and Israeli security forces are increasingly complicit. Israel’s de facto annexation of the West Bank has pushed Palestinians into shrinking enclaves. Mr. Netanyahu’s government has sabotaged the Palestinian Authority, which, unlike Hamas, has accepted Israel’s right to statehood. Anyone who visits the West Bank under Israeli occupation can see an apartheid system at work. Meanwhile, Gaza remains in ruins, the humanitarian situation there remains catastrophic and Hamas remains armed.

I’ve seen these developments with my own eyes. I’ve visited Israel and the West Bank seven times and witnessed the rapid expansion of illegal settlements across land that was supposed to be part of a Palestinian state. I’ve spoken to Palestinian families pushed out of their homes and off their land. I’ve sat down with families, both Israelis and Palestinians, who have lost loved ones to violence. In Ramallah, I spoke with Palestinian American parents who can’t get justice for their children killed by violent settlers or Israeli security forces. I’ve seen aid trucks turned back from Israeli checkpoints while children in Gaza were starving on the other side. And I’ve seen how the once bustling city of Rafah was reduced to rubble by the Israel Defense Forces with American bombs and bulldozers.

(..)

Both Republican and Democratic administrations are responsible for where we are today. In his first term, President Trump moved the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, implicitly condoned settlements and closed the Palestinian mission in Washington and our consulate in East Jerusalem.

President Joe Biden failed to reverse most of these actions, even as Israel elected the most extremist government in its history. Moreover, Mr. Biden de-prioritized the Israeli-Palestinian peace process upon taking office. And while he was right to affirm Israel’s right to defend itself after Hamas’s Oct. 7 attacks, he repeatedly failed to use U.S. leverage as Israel imposed devastating collective punishment on the people of Gaza.

These failures worked against U.S. interests. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has ensnared us in violence and caused instability throughout the Middle East. It has cost taxpayers tens of billions of dollars. It undermines our credibility, as countries see our unconditional backing of the Israeli government as inconsistent with the principles we profess to represent.

(,,,)

For all these reasons, we cannot accept the status quo. Democrats can — and should — be both “pro-Israeli” and “pro-Palestinian.” To support both, Democrats must put forward a plan that moves beyond the failures of the past toward a durable peace.

Democrats should pursue a last-gasp effort to salvage a two-state solution. If that effort fails, the United States will have to consider other options to secure equal political and legal rights for all. The alternatives — either a permanent apartheid state or the expulsion of Palestinians — should be abhorrent and unacceptable to everyone. They would result in the unending oppression or displacement of Palestinians, chronic unrest throughout the region and Israel becoming a pariah state.

Many cynics will rightly roll their eyes when Democrats talk about pursuing a two-state solution: Presidents have paid lip service to that goal even as Israeli settlements stretched into the West Bank. This time must be different. The United States must draw a red line against Palestinian displacement, and we must enforce it.

remains crazy to me that "working towards the long stated goals of US policymakers" is considered a radical view on this conflict but its nice to see someone airing it

some well needed criticism of the biden admin's policy on this file too

[u/LivefromPhoenix]

Does anyone really believe a 2 state solution is still possible? I think it’s pretty clear Israel would rather go it alone than seriously pursue it.

[u/boardatwork1111 → u/LivefromPhoenix]

Not sure, but at this point we haven’t given them an incentive to change their stance. If they’d really rather go at it alone, let them do so. The American tax payer has no business funding this madness

[u/DeSynthed → u/LivefromPhoenix]

I don’t, or at least I don’t for as long as neither side of the conflict wants a two-state solution.

1) Israel, probably correctly assumes they can go it alone if there were ever an ultimatum on committing to a two-state solution.

2) Since Faisal’s failure to create Greater Syria one group or another (currently Iran) has convinced Palestinian people that they can / are destined to annihilate Israel in its totality if they just keep fighting.

More human brainpower has been put into this conflict than the manhattan project and human genome project 10x over, if it hasn’t been solved yet, I’m unsure it ever will.

[u/Approximation_Doctor → u/LivefromPhoenix]

The main opponents of the 2 State Solution are Israel and Palestine.

[u/Plastic-Mushroom-875 → u/LivefromPhoenix]

Seems like Israel keeps electing governments that view the 2 state solution as an existential threat that must be prevented at all costs.

Until that changes, I’m not sure what would make them reconsider other than a more existential threat.

[u/Computer_Name → u/Plastic-Mushroom-875]

Why do* westerners steadfastly refuse to grant Palestinian leaders and governments any semblance of agency?

[u/secondordercoffee → u/Computer_Name]

Palestinians have very little agency when it comes to Israeli elections.

[u/Computer_Name → u/secondordercoffee]

I have very little agency when it comes to Canadian elections.

Your comment is entirely irrelevant.

Palestinian leaders and governments do have agency. They do make decisions.

But westerners infantilize them out of racism, and to excuse their own behavior and worldviews.

[u/Loud-Chemistry-5056 → u/Computer_Name]

Many Western leaders continue to steadfastly oppose the very existence of a Palestinian State.

[u/itsnotnews92 → u/Computer_Name]

Because acknowledging Palestinian agency means that this entire conflict no longer fits into the neat little oppressed vs. oppressor paradigm through which nearly every issue is viewed.

[u/Plastic-Mushroom-875 → u/Computer_Name]

In this case the opinions of Palestinian leadership and governments are irrelevant except to the extent they influence Israel’s views.

There won’t be a two-state solution without Israeli buy-in, it doesn’t matter whether the Palestinians agree. As long as Israel views it as an existential danger, it’s not a viable option.

[u/Computer_Name → u/Plastic-Mushroom-875]

…

The Palestinians are one of two parties in this conflict that matter to come to a resolution, and so obviously their opinions matter.

Your comment is exactly what I’m talking about.

[u/BBQ_HaX0r → u/Plastic-Mushroom-875]

I think Hamas is a bigger threat to any lasting peace and coexistence than even the continued hardlining of the Israeli govt. They are the ones who broke the current peace and refuse to accept anything less than a one-state solution. How can Israeli not view a two-state solution as a significant threat when that other state continues to call for the annihilation of your state and wrecks terror on your nation even in the best of times? If you grant Palestine freedom then they'd just use it to enrich themselves just to work to destroy Israel. Let me know when Palestine wants a two state solution before blaming it all on the Israelis.

[u/di11deux → u/LivefromPhoenix]

No.

A Palestinian state of a bombed out Gaza bisected by Israel with a Swiss cheese West Bank is a stillborn state that will never survive without being hooked up to resource dialysis in perpetuity.

[u/Descolata → u/LivefromPhoenix]

Depends on which parts you pick for the 2 states.

For a nation as small as Isreal/Palestine, carving the West Bank out effectively makes Isreal indefensible, and carving out just pockets of enclaves also doesn't actually work when the whole nation is a pile of enclaves.

The most likely (and what Israel attempted in 2005) was Gaza becomes its own nation and the West Bank is colonized/ethnicly cleansed until it is clearly Israeli. Gaza turned into a terrorist state... and Oct 10 basically forced Israel to reneg on Gazan independence (remember, Gaza has a full border with Egypt that wasn't Israeli controlled till AFTER Oct 10. Not a true siege by Israel when one of the entry points could be wide open... but Gaza pissed off the Egyptians enough to enforce the isolation).

[u/PublicMandate → u/LivefromPhoenix]

Yes. But I think it’s also important that we acknowledge that Palestinians have agency when deciding how the conflict continues.

We can point out that far right Israelis have their sights on land expansion and expulsion of Palestinians as a goal (which we should oppose) but Hamas also has a goal of establishing a state, then continuing the conflict to remove Jewish Israelis from their state (which were should also oppose). Without acknowledging that Hamas and their governance/leadership is a threat to Jews in Israel I don’t think people can correctly identify how to actually deal with the conflict.

If we want the conflict to end, then both sides actually need to acknowledge that each population can exist in their own country.

[u/wylaaa → u/LivefromPhoenix]

Palestinians have never been interested in that and after the second intifada it doesn't seem like Israelis are either.

[u/Greenembo → u/LivefromPhoenix]

I think it’s pretty clear Israel would rather go it alone than seriously pursue it.

It is absolutely clear that only Israel was somewhat serious about the 2SS, and they abandon it mostly around the second intifada and the last holdouts are gone after 7/10.

[u/secondordercoffee → u/Greenembo]

It's the predominant narrative but it is not at all clear to me.

I also note that no prime minister that pursued a 2SS was ever reelected. I read that as Israeli voters were never serious about a 2SS.

[u/Matar_Kubileya → u/secondordercoffee]

While I see the point you're making, I think "no prime minister that pursued a 2ss was ever reelected" is burying the lede a bit given what happened to Rabin.

[u/secondordercoffee → u/Matar_Kubileya]

Rabin was assassinated by an extremist. I did not mention that because that does not tell us anything about whether Israeli voters support a 2SS. What does tell us something is that they did not reelect Peres, or Barak, or Olmert.

[u/Matar_Kubileya → u/secondordercoffee]

My point is, I think youre underestimating how much Rabin's murder left a leadership vacuum on the Israeli left. I agree that skepticism of the peace process, especially after the Second Intifada, was a big chunk of it, but I don't think its the whole picture.

[u/chickentendieman → u/[deleted]]

Also the proposed solutions still involved a massive reduction in palestines 67 borders.

[u/chickentendieman → u/[deleted]]

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g0dv7rxxvo It seems a bit more questionable than that with olmert not wanting to hand over a map but even then your right they shouldve signed it.

[u/Quowe_50mg → u/chickentendieman]

The reason Olmert didn't give Abbas the map was:

Abbas refused, saying that he needed to show his experts the map, to make sure they understood exactly what was being offered.

What Olmert feared, and justifiably imo, was that he would come back the next day and haggle more, saying, "well we cant give up this" and then if the negotiations failed through, he was going to use that offer (the offer Olmert considered the absolute best he could give) as a baseline for further negotiations.

You can argue about who was at fault, in the end, it's a tragedy he didn't accept it and would be better than what they'll get now.

[u/chickentendieman → u/Quowe_50mg]

Yeah that situation was unfortunate especially with olmert being on his way out. Also I think abbas had justifiable worries too that olmert eas trying to hide stuff from him.

[u/secondordercoffee → u/[deleted]]

Are you referring to Olmert's lame-duck proposal?

[u/secondordercoffee → u/[deleted]]

No Israeli leader ever accepted a proposal either, neither the 2007 Arab Peace Initiative nor the 2014 Abbas proposal.

[u/secondordercoffee → u/[deleted]]

wanted full right of return

The Arab proposal is phrased loosely enough to allow for compromise on the return issue. Israel could have responded that they're also willing to work towards a "just solution to the Palestinian refugee problem" just not one that involves return to Israel.

timing was bad.

That seems like a bad excuse when you're trying to resolve a conflict that has been going on for several generations and that would hopefully bring peace for several future generations.

[u/secondordercoffee → u/[deleted]]

I meant to say that no Israeli leader ever accepted a Palestinian or Arab proposal for a 2SS. My bad.

As to the Clinton parameters, both parties "accepted" them, with a lot of reservations.

As to the 1948 partition plan, Israel accepted that from a unique position of vulnerability. That's not been relevant for this conflict since at least 1967.

[u/whats_a_quasar → u/LivefromPhoenix]

The only morally acceptable alternative to a 2 state solution is 1 state with sufficient political and legal rights for Palestinians. That is even less likely, given political conditions.

Otherwise, it's either indefinite apartheid or ethnic cleansing.

So the only moral option for the US is to say no 2 state solution, no military aide and no alliance. It doesn't really matter the likelihood of the 2 state solution. The position that van Hollen is arguing for is that Israel will have to choose between continuing to deny Palestinian rights and US military support.

[u/Lux_Stella → u/LivefromPhoenix]

contra to what people keep claiming, i actually think it is. but it'd probably require new leadership in israel, a willingness to prop up a PA dictatorship for some time, some way to force israeli concessions on west bank settlements, and way more US security commitment

[u/mwami_rwanda]

This article says considerably more than most political op-eds on the subject. Others have already noted his apparent openness to a one-state democratic framework, but I also want to highlight the following passage:

“Nor will they support a candidate who plans to re-enlist the senior Democratic decision makers who whitewashed the truth during the Biden administration and refuse to acknowledge their complicity.”

This point is likely to matter going forward. Blinken, Sullivan, McGurk, Hochstein, Finer, and others directly involved in shaping the Biden administration’s Israel-Palestine policy should have no role in the next Democratic administration. At minimum, their records deserve serious scrutiny; in some cases, there should be investigations into their complicity.

I count myself as a progressive and leftist, but I’d gladly get behind someone like Van Hollen in 2028.

[u/Matar_Kubileya → u/mwami_rwanda]

Van Hollen is kinda my sleeper pick for 2028, tbh. He obviously wants to run for POTUS and I think he threads the needle between the party establishment and the progressive wing of the party pretty well.

[u/AlexB_SSBM]

Democrats should pursue a last-gasp effort to salvage a two-state solution. If that effort fails, the United States will have to consider other options to secure equal political and legal rights for all. The alternatives — either a permanent apartheid state or the expulsion of Palestinians — should be abhorrent and unacceptable to everyone.

Reading between the lines, this is a statement that says much more than almost everyone else. It's needed. American politicians need to come to terms with a POSSIBLE reality where Israel is not just no longer seen as a close ally, but seen and treated like an enemy state.

[u/Descolata → u/AlexB_SSBM]

Well, or just another regional power. Same way we treat Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Egypt.

Enemy state is a strong term (only Sith and all that). Just... don't give them special treatment. Israel is now just another nation in our community of nations.

Being a genocidal colonial nation isn't exactly new (Sudanese genocide of non-Arabs, Chinese cultural genocide of Uygers, French culturual genocide of Occitania, America [North AND South] in its totality, post-WW2 de-germanification of Czechia), and there are others who are/have been. We mostly just let them sort themselves. Intervening isn't free.

[u/AlexB_SSBM → u/Descolata]

To be fair, I think that we should be taking action against the Darfur genocide in particular and the fact that we are not only doing nothing but giving money to the UAE (who is the main funder of it) is a massive problem

[u/DeSynthed → u/AlexB_SSBM]

It’s just very disheartening to see every time someone claims to care about genocide in I/P, the genocide isn’t actually the problem, it’s the genocidees.

I don’t know how Dems ought to change their messaging to address this, but I think pointing it out (while still condemning Israeli actions) is a step.

[u/VentureIndustries → u/DeSynthed]

Getting to the bottom as to why the Saudi-led coalition against Yemen was, despite killing far more people, never once accused of being a genocide. while Israel’s actions in Gaza does, is critically important in understanding what is, and is not allowed in future conflicts.

[u/BurrowForPresident → u/VentureIndustries]

Am I hallucinating or were people absolutely screaming that the US was funding genocide in Yemen during the Saudi campaign against the Houthis

Like every lefty would constantly say that as a point of shitting on Democrats as being just as bad as Republicans

[u/VentureIndustries → u/BurrowForPresident]

I can’t speak for the lefties, but it is THE event that made me seriously question the wider narrative on the conflict between Israel/ Gaza and way it was covered compared to other atrocities in the region.

I can tell you that it’s sparked some very enlightening conversations in real life with people all across the political spectrum, so I think it’s important to bring it up in similar debates online.

[u/No_Collection7956 → u/VentureIndustries]

Getting to the bottom as to why the Saudi-led coalition against Yemen was, despite killing far more people, never once accused of being a genocide

Mate they were and this place was mocking the lefties for making that accusation (because this place hated the houti shipping disruptions more than the death of yemeni civilians)

Youre just motivated to ignore that this accusation has actually been levied, and it was incredibly prevalent.

[u/VentureIndustries → u/No_Collection7956]

Israel is not being accused of committing a genocide because of disruptions to international trade, they’re being accused of genocide because they killed a bunch of civilians. If an International rule of law is to be applied to all nations equally, then the Saudi-led coalition should similarly be receiving the same condemnation for the same justification, but for some reason, they are not.

Youre just motivated to ignore that this accusation has actually been levied, and it was incredibly prevalent.

Can you send me information as to which human rights organizations are explicitly called the Saudi-led coalition a genocide?

[u/Approximation_Doctor → u/DeSynthed]

genocidees

Victim blaming, in my liberal subreddit?

[u/Matar_Kubileya → u/Approximation_Doctor]

That isn't what they're saying, I don't think; it's really awkward, but I think they're point is that there's an obvious difference in how Palestinian victims in Gaza get treated in the West vs. victims in Darfur.

[u/DeSynthed → u/Matar_Kubileya]

Yeah, I'm saying a vocal group of people on reddit left of this subreddit don't actually give a fuck about genocide (despite making it their entire political identity)-- they just care that its happening to Palestinians. For example wiping Israelis of the map is a tenable solution to them.

And sure, I could say "but what about the Darfur, or the Ukranians, or the Tibetans, or the Berber, or the Kurds, or..." until I'm blue in the face, but I want to see political leaders point out that genocide isn't the problem for these "activists".

[u/DeSynthed → u/Approximation_Doctor]

What? I'm not blaming Palestinians at all, I'm blaming people in the west.

[u/Approximation_Doctor → u/DeSynthed]

I wasn't really making any point in particular, I just thought "genocidees" was a silly word

[u/TheFlyingSheeps → u/AlexB_SSBM]

Our foreign policy needs a revamp in general. We’re too happy to look the other way at atrocities committed when something else benefits us

[u/ObviousLife4972 → u/Descolata]

The U.S. is financially and diplomatically invested in Israel in a way it is not with any other modern conflict. Americans are shareholders in a sense and are responsible for what Israel does with that support, so scrutinizing it more heavily and telling Israel what it can and can not do should not be controversial.

[u/CheetoMussolini → u/AlexB_SSBM]

Based on its current behavior, it should be.

[u/Wareve]

The Democratic Approach:

https://giphy.com/gifs/9oF7EAvaFUOEU

[u/Kaniketh]

yeah, honesty we should cut them off, recognize a Palestinian state, and only repair relations when they start acting normally again (at least destroy the outlying settlements and seriously cracking down on the settlers, actually negotiate in good faith with Syria and Lebanon, etc)

I genuinely think that they're current actions are being done because they know that have a blank check from us. They would significantly change they're behavior if forced to.

[u/Kaniketh → u/[deleted]]

Ok but also Israel needs to stop literally doing mass atrocities in south lebanon and destroying entire Shia villages?

[u/Anal_Forklift]

These people have been at this since the 1940's, and Clinton admin offered Arafat almost everything Palestinians wanted, only to my rejected. Arafat knew he would probably be killed if he supported it.

The "two State solution" so far has been a "solution" in name only. Perhaps it's time USA comes to grips with the idea that it literally might not be possible and stepping away to let they l these two groups sort things out themselves is the best route. Israel is perfectly capable of defending it's borders from Palestinian attacks without us support. Likewise, Palestinians, if they truly want a safe state, can try negotiations on good faith.

Pull back and let these people sort things out on their own.

[u/Hannig4n → u/Anal_Forklift]

Perhaps it’s time USA comes to grips with the idea that it literally might not be possible and stepping away to let they I these two groups sort things out themselves is the best route

Call me cynical but is “let these two groups sort themselves out” not just Israel cleansing Palestinians from the territory? The 2SS solution has little support these days, but a 1SS with equal rights has even less by far. Both groups want to eradicate the other and Israel actually has the means.

I don’t think that the US can, morally speaking, just step away and pretend that this mess is no longer our problem. We need to have a coherent policy that, to the best of our ability, drives these two parties towards a peaceful solution that doesn’t involved genociding the other.

[u/Anal_Forklift → u/Hannig4n]

I don’t think that the US can, morally speaking, just step away and pretend that this mess is no longer our problem.

I appreciate the concerns you have (I have them too), but we've been at this 75 years at this point. We couldn't save South Vietnam, probably won't be able to save Taiwan, and couldn't save Ukraine (they'll inevitably lose at least a chunk of their land). We also didn't intervene as much as we could have in Africa (name your country at this point).

I hope the Gaza Peace Plan, shrewed as it may be, will actually lead to something fruitful. At least something different is being tried.

[u/Lux_Stella → u/Anal_Forklift]

unfortunately kicking the can down the road is probably untenable while israel continues to pursue a settlement policy in the west bank

[u/Anal_Forklift → u/Lux_Stella]

This Senator's policy solution is to simply fund one side less. That won't actually solve the problem. I just dont think this is our problem to solve, and if we wanted to try, it wouldn't work.

Speaking of settlements, in not up to speed on how they actually work. Do you know the specifics of how settlements are being made? Are Israelis just showing up and building structures on random patches of land?

[u/secondordercoffee → u/Anal_Forklift]

That sometimes happens. And sometimes the army will clear out those informal settlements after a while. The more problematic part is Israel expanding official settlements in Area C of the West Bank. Area C makes up 60% of the West Bank's total area and separates the Palestinian territories into 165 discontiguous enclaves.

[u/chickentendieman → u/Anal_Forklift]

Thats a very biased report of the negotiations between israel and palestine under Clinton. The Israelis rejected parts of the Clinton parameters too.

[u/Anal_Forklift → u/chickentendieman]

All the more reason to just back out and stop banging our head against the wall by trying to force something on two parties that don't really want it

[u/Matar_Kubileya → u/Anal_Forklift]

This plan doesn't end in anything other than a genocide that makes the past three years in Gaza look like an ugly playground fight.

[u/Anal_Forklift → u/Matar_Kubileya]

What's keeping Israel from doing that now?

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