WASHINGTON: Democratic presidential contenders vowed Monday to switch gears sharply from Donald Trump’s hawkish embrace of Israel, pledging they would press for a peace settlement that leads to a Palestinian state.
Half a year after Democratic candidates all shunned the annual conference of AIPAC, the historic pro-Israel lobby, five candidates came in person to deliver a peace message in the same Washington convention center before J Street, a left-leaning group which argues that it is more in tune with American Jews.
Senator Bernie Sanders, who rarely talks about his Jewish faith, explained how the murder of much of his father’s family in the Holocaust shaped his progressive views.
“If there is any people on earth who understands the danger of racism and white nationalism, it is certainly the Jewish people,” Sanders said to thunderous applause.
Rising from his seat on stage to give a campaign-style address, Sanders, who would be the first Jewish president, accused both Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of fomenting division.
“Let me underline this because it will be misunderstood — it is not anti-Semitism to say that the Netanyahu government has been racist. It is a fact,” he said.
“We demand that the Israeli government sit down with the Palestinian people and negotiate an agreement that works for all parties,” he said.
Sanders said his message to Israel would be, “if you want military aid, you are going to have to fundamentally change your relationship” with the Palestinians.
He called for some of the $3.8 billion in annual military assistance to be turned into humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip in a “radical intercession” for the packed, impoverished territory that has been under a blockade since it elected the Islamist movement Hamas in 2007.
“Who is going to deny that when youth unemployment is 60 percent, when people have no hope, when people cannot literally leave the region — who can think for a moment that you’re not laying the groundwork for continued violence?” he said.
Trump, whose evangelical Christian base is staunchly pro-Israel, has taken a series of historic steps including recognizing bitterly divided Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
The Trump administration has signaled support as Netanyahu — whose political future is unclear after two inconclusive elections — flirts with annexing parts of the West Bank.
Democratic frontrunners Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren, both appearing before J Street in video messages rather than in person, said they would oppose any action that closes the door on a Palestinian state.
“If Israel’s government continues with steps to formally annex the West Bank, the US should make clear that none of our aid should be used to support annexation,” Warren said.
Warren said that she would reverse two key measures of Trump — by resuming aid to the UN refugee agency for Palestinians and allowing the Palestine Liberation Organization to unshutter its Washington office.
While not reversing course on the US embassy, she said she would reopen the US mission in east Jerusalem which would become an embassy if a peace deal creates a Palestinian state.
Biden, who had uneasy relations with Netanyahu while vice president, said: “We can’t be afraid to tell the truth to our closest friends.”
“The two-state solution is the best, if not the only, way to secure a peaceful future for a Jewish, democratic state of Israel,” Biden said.
In a scene unimaginable at AIPAC, the mostly Jewish crowd gave a standing ovation to chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat as he stood on stage to the sounds of U2’s “Beautiful Day” and said of creating a Palestinian state, “Let’s not give up.”
With some 4,000 people in attendance, J Street still had less than a quarter of the turnout of AIPAC, which is itself non-partisan but this year drew a who’s who of Republicans.
J Street president Jeremy Ben-Ami said he believed his organization was more in line with the US Jewish community, which votes overwhelmingly Democratic.
“If you go to the AIPAC conference and you’re standing and cheering for Trump and Netanyahu, that is one approach.
“This is a conference where you stand up and you fight against what Trump and Netanyahu are seeking to do,” he said.
Led by Sanders, Democrats vow to press Israel on Palestinian state
Led by Sanders, Democrats vow to press Israel on Palestinian state
- Senator Bernie Sanders, who rarely talks about his Jewish faith, explained how the murder of much of his father’s family in the Holocaust shaped his progressive views
- Bernie Sanders: Let me underline this because it will be misunderstood — it is not anti-Semitism to say that the Netanyahu government has been racist. It is a fact
Qatari minister reaffirms support for Lebanon, calls stability a regional priority
- Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi said Lebanon remains key foreign policy priority, reveals economic, development and humanitarian measures
- US ambassadors to Lebanon, Israel meet in Jordan to discuss peace efforts amid latest escalations
BEIRUT: Qatar’s Minister of State Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi on Monday reaffirmed Doha’s support for Lebanon during a meeting with President Joseph Aoun.
In a press conference he said that “Lebanon’s stability is a fundamental pillar for the stability of the entire region” and announced a package of economic, development and humanitarian measures.
The Qatari minister’s visit to Beirut coincided with Israeli military escalation in southern Lebanon, including the assassination of Hezbollah members by drones, incursions into the border area, and the demolition of more residences.
While the date for the meeting of the Ceasefire Monitoring Committee (Mechanism) agreement has yet to be confirmed, the US Embassy in Lebanon said in a press release on Monday that Washingt’s ambassadors to Beirut and Israel met in Jordan to discuss peace efforts through diplomacy and dialogue.
The meeting, hosted by the US Embassy in Amman last weekend, focused on the steps needed to achieve a more peaceful and prosperous region.
The visit by Qatar’s minister to Lebanon was made “upon the instructions of Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani,” according to Aoun’s media office.
“It is crucial to involve Lebanon in regional discussions, and Qatar is keen on this matter, as well as on following the situation in the country, especially the internal developments, Israeli attacks, the work of the committee, the dialogue, and efforts to find the necessary solutions,” Al-Khulaifi said.
Aoun expressed his thanks and appreciation to the Qatari minister for the visit and initiatives.
He said that the Lebanese military is carrying out its duties south of the Litani River in full, while Israeli attacks on southern villages and towns continue, destroying residential areas and displacing residents, at times extending to villages in the Bekaa Valley.
“Israel has not responded to repeated calls to abide by the agreement announced in November 2024 and implement Resolution 1701. This Israeli stance prevents the return of security and safety to the south, in addition to its repercussions on all levels,” he stated.
Aoun revealed that “contacts are ongoing before the meeting of the Mechanism committee scheduled for next month to reach practical results that will expedite the restoration of stability to the south, the withdrawal of Israeli forces, the return of prisoners, and enable the army to deploy to the internationally recognized southern border.”
He stressed that “pressuring Israel to facilitate the work of the Mechanism committee is essential to achieving the full implementation of Resolution 1701 in all its aspects.”
Aoun also spoke about the Lebanese military’s “need for equipment, vehicles, and supplies that would enable it to carry out its required tasks not only in the south but throughout all Lebanese territory.”
Regarding relations with Syria, Aoun affirmed that the situation on the Lebanese-Syrian border is better than before, and that negotiations are ongoing between the two countries to address several issues, particularly the return of Syrian refugees.
He added that Lebanon welcomes any Arab support in general, and Qatari support in particular, to help facilitate this return.
Al-Khulaifi also met with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and in a joint press conference stressed “the necessity for all parties to adhere to UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and respect the full sovereignty of the Lebanese Republic over its territory.
“We reiterate our complete condemnation of the Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory, which constitute an infringement on the sovereignty of our sister nation, Lebanon, and we emphasize the need for the Security Council to assume its responsibilities to stop these violations and to preserve Lebanon’s stability,” he said.
The minister announced a Qatar Fund for Development package — coordinated with Lebanese authorities within legal frameworks — including a $40 million grant and $360 million economic project to bolster Lebanon’s electricity sector, benefiting 1.5 million people nationwide.
Other measures include 185 scholarships over three years for Lebanese youth, the Sports for Development and Peace initiative to protect 4,400 children and young people in conflict areas, and reconstruction of Beirut’s Karantina Hospital, destroyed in the port explosion, with further health projects under review.
Qatar will also fund a $20 million first phase, in partnership with the International Organization for Migration, to support the voluntary return of 100,000 Syrian refugees. It guarantees housing upon return, plus three months of food and medicine to ensure stability and social reintegration.
“We thank the Syrian government for its constructive cooperation in facilitating the implementation of this humanitarian and development project,” the minister said.
Elsewhere on Monday, the Syrian Internal Security Directorate said it thwarted an attempt to smuggle missiles and ammunition through the Syrian town of Breij into Lebanon, according to SANA.
Breij, located east of Talkalakh on the border with Lebanon’s Akkar region, is considered a smuggling hub, according to a Lebanese security source.
