Democratic Voters Are Sick of Funding Israel. Will the Leaders Listen?

After the shock upset of the 2024 election, Democrats asked themselves how they could have possibly lost what should have been a landslide victory over Trump. There were long discussions on bringing back young voters, reconnecting with the working class, and reassessing the party’s relationship with groups like American Israel Public Affairs Committee that don’t align with the voting base.

It seems, however, the party establishment has not decided to change its strategy in any way, continuing on a course that will allow the Republicans to run rampant in dismantling what little of democracy and social safety nets this country had.

The trouble is that the leadership of the Democratic Party is captured by a donor class whose values do not align with the voters. As a result, when the voters are divided 90-10 on an issue, the leadership often will side with the 10.

A new Quinnipiac survey found that an overwhelming majority of 77% of Democrats have come to the conclusion that Israel is committing the crime of genocide, but yet still only a small fraction of elected Democrats have openly acknowledged that reality.

There are Democrats who are taking the side of the voters by opposing Israel’s genocide while taking an aggressive approach to US President Donald Trump, but instead of being embraced by party leadership, they are being shut out.

When House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), the No. 2 Democrat in the House, was attending an event at a Quaker Meeting House in her district, she was confronted by myself and other constituents on her complicity in Israel’s genocide. In this conversation, she acknowledged that the politics of Israel and Palestine have changed and used the term genocide in the context of Gaza. But then a few days later, likely under pressure from AIPAC and other pro-Israel groups, she issued a statement saying “I want to be clear that I am not accusing Israel of genocide.”

Despite coming from one of the country’s most progressive districts, she has an abysmally conservative record on Palestine. Clark has taken over $700,000 from pro-Israel groups like AIPAC, Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI), and J-Street, making the Israel lobby her largest source of campaign money. Even though she has joined other Democrats in expressing how “horrified” they are about the starvation in Gaza, she still will not commit to taking a stance against arming the nation responsible for the famine.

Clark’s cowardice in the face of pressure from big donors at the expense of constituents is emblematic of Democratic leaders. Figures like Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who allowed the Republicans to move forward with their austerity budget, do not have the courage or the will to lead the Democratic Party in the fight against fascism.

This cowardice became apparent again recently in the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) reaction when a young member of the committee introduced a resolution before party leadership to call for an end of military aid to Israel. Groups like AIPAC and DMFI quickly mobilized in opposition to the bill and were successful shutting it down with support from DNC chair Ken Martin. This being despite a recent poll finding that 75% of Democrats oppose sending military aid to Israel and another that only 8% approve of Israel’s action in Gaza.

There are Democrats who are taking the side of the voters by opposing Israel’s genocide while taking an aggressive approach to US President Donald Trump, but instead of being embraced by party leadership, they are being shut out.

Zohran Mamdani won the New York City mayoral primary with a strong focus on issues of affordability, promising to freeze the rent, make buses fast and free, and implement universal childcare. These policies, along with Mamdani’s belief in Palestinian human rights, propelled him to victory over former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in spite of opposition from corporations like DoorDash, the real estate lobby, and pro-Israel groups. Even though Mamdani has won theratic primary, securing the party’s nomination, many New York Democrats were slow to or yet to endorse him.

We are now seeing a similar scenario play out in Minneapolis where democratic socialist Omar Fateh mayoral candidate had his endorsement from Minnesota’s Democratic-Farmer Labor Party undemocratically revoked as a result of the work of a few party insiders.

Despite the efforts to silence them from the establishment, Mamdani holds a comfortable lead in the general election and Fateh is still a viable challenger to incumbent centrist Democrat Jacob Frey.

Mamdani and Fateh are now joined by a roster of leftist challengers running for Congress in 2026 against both corrupt Democrats and Republicans. Candidates like Maine’s Graham Platner and Michigan’s Abdul El-Sayed have both taken a principled stance against Israel’s genocide and promoted other popular policies like Medicare for all where again the party establishment has chosen the donors over the voters.

As 2026 approaches and pundits are already discussing who should run for president in 2028, it’s necessary for us to continue making the case for the Democratic Party to abandon the unelected donor class and become a party of the working class that promotes peace and justice at home and abroad. If not, the party will repeat the same mistakes it made in 2024, clearing the way for an uninterrupted fascist takeover.