Democratic voters in the US have recently shown a marked change in their views on Israel. This shift has brought the party’s Middle East policy and the boundary between criticism and antisemitism back to the forefront.
According to a national Gallup poll published this year, 41% of Americans sympathize more with Palestinians, while 36% feel closer to Israelis. This result marks the first time since Gallup began tracking in 2001 that Israelis have lost their clear advantage.
The difference is even more striking among Democrats. The poll shows that 65% of Democrats support Palestinians, while only 17% lean toward Israelis.
A March survey by Pew also indicated a similar directional change. According to Pew, 60% of Americans now view Israel negatively to some degree, an increase of 7 points from last year and about 20 points since 2022.
Among Democrats and Democratic-leaning individuals, the negative view rises to 80%. Following Hamas’s attack on Israel in October 2023 and Israel’s subsequent war in Gaza, this trend has intensified intra-party debates.
The discussion has become more explicit, especially regarding sending weapons to Israel. Questions about which criticisms are legitimate and which cross into antisemitism have become more visible within the party.
Third Way and Hasan Piker Controversy
One side of this debate involves the centrist Democratic group Third Way. In March, its president Jonathan Cowan co-authored an article in the Wall Street Journal with Lily Cohen opposing close ties with left-wing commentator Hasan Piker.
Cowan and Cohen argued that Democrats should avoid contact with Piker and push him away from the party’s mainstream. Cowan claimed that associating with Piker made Democrats appear "more extreme" and weakened the party’s chances in red and purple states.
The article asserted that since 2018, centrist-backed candidates have flipped about 50 Republican House seats to Democrats, while left-wing groups linked to Piker, such as Our Revolution and Justice Democrats, have not achieved similar success.
From Piker’s perspective, the goal is not just to elect all Democrats but to shift the party’s center of gravity to the left. He described changing the Democratic Party as a long-term transformation that would create a more determined political force and lasting impact.
The program also revisited some of Piker’s past remarks. He acknowledged that derogatory comments he made years ago about Miley Cyrus were wrong and do not reflect his current views.
However, he did not apologize for offensive language used about ultra-Orthodox Jews or for statements Third Way deemed antisemitic. He stood by his provocative remark, "I always prefer Hamas over Israel," insisting it was intentional.
This harsh rhetoric has made the boundaries that centrist Democrats want to draw more contentious. Piker said the criticism has made him more visible rather than silenced and that he feels less isolated now, especially because of his views on Israel.
The outcome of this debate is more than just a clash between a commentator and a party organization. The shift among Democratic voters on Israel sharpens questions about who the party will engage with, what language it will use, and where it will position itself going forward.
