In Washington, South Florida Democrats push back against colleagues’ Israel criticisms

A visit to Washington this week by Israel President Isaac Herzog is highlighting a rift in the Democratic Party over politics in the Middle East.

Several progressive members of the Democrats’ U.S. House contingent plan to skip Herzog’s Wednesday speech to a joint session of Congress. One has attempted to walk back comments that the nation of Israel is “racist.” Other Democrats, including several from South Florida, are stressing their party’s support for Israel, which has become something of a wedge issue during recent elections.

“[Herzog] comes to us at the perfect time, as both parties confront rising polarization and radical voices in Congress who do not represent the vast majority,” U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston, said in a statement to the Miami Herald. “I’ve been lucky enough to speak to President Herzog and many other Israeli leaders about these issues, and I hope that all Members can appreciate how much we have to gain from hearing his perspective.”

The friction began Saturday, when U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal criticized Israel’s government while speaking on a panel during the Netroots Nation political conference in Chicago.

“I want you to know that we have been fighting to make it clear that Israel is a racist state, that the Palestinians deserve self-determination and autonomy,” she said.

Jayapal, the chairwoman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, made the comments after the panel was interrupted by demonstrators waving Palestinian flags, according to reports. Israel’s treatment of Palestinians has been controversial around the world, and calls to boycott, sanction and divest from the country have in recent years grown in the United States on the left.

At the same time, several progressive Democrats, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jamaal Bowman, Ilhan Omar, and Cori Bush, have announced they will skip Herzog’s address to Congress. While many Democrats have taken issue with the policies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a longtime right-wing politician in Israel, Herzog occupies a position in Israel that is entirely ceremonial as head of state.

Democratic leaders reacted quickly to Jayapal, with minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and others declaring flatly in a statement that “Israel is not a racist state.”

Japayal clarified her comments on Sunday, saying in a statement: “I do not believe the idea of Israel as a nation is racist.”

Still, seven Jewish Democrats, including South Florida Representatives Wasserman Schultz and Jared Moskowitz, signed a draft statement obtained by the Miami Herald denouncing Jayapal’s comments. “We are deeply concerned about Representative Pramila Jayapal’s unacceptable comments about our historic, democratic ally Israel, and we appreciate her retraction,” read the statement.

Lois Frankel, who represents a Palm Beach County district, wrote on Twitter that she rejects “any description of Israel as racist.” In a separate tweet, Frankel wrote “Hell YES will I be attending President Herzog’s address this week.”

The issue is sensitive.

Jewish voters have overwhelmingly supported Democrats for decades. Studies have consistently shown that, while sentiments about Israel do affect some voters’ decisions in the ballot box, most Jewish voters are focused on domestic U.S. politics when they vote.

Regardless, some Republicans in recent years have seized on progressives’ criticisms of Israel, casting Democrats as anti-Israel and the GOP as a staunch ally.

Former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are among the Republicans who have taken public stands to show their allegiance to Israel. Trump moved the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem during his time in the Oval Office and DeSantis declared himself the most Israel-friendly governor in the nation.

On Monday, Republicans rallied around the Israeli government at a Washington summit of Christians United For Israel.

Also on Monday, in an interview with MSNBC, Moskowitz stressed that the Democratic Party is supportive of Israel.

“It’s unfortunate because obviously, you got President Herzog coming here this week, you got Republicans who were saying the Democratic Party is anti-Israel,” he said. “So it feeds into that and as you know we’ve seen a significant increase in anti-semitism.”

Prior to his speech before Congress, Herzog is scheduled to visit the White House on Tuesday. On Monday, President Joe Biden also extended an invitation to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit the U.S.

McClatchy Congressional Correspondent David Lightman and White House Correspondent Michael Wilner contributed to this report.