As Democrats Become More Liberal And Anti-Israel, DMFI Sticks Fingers In The Dike

The Democratic Party has been becoming more liberal and anti-Israel in its views over the past several years. It has left many pro-Israel Democrats feeling lost in their party but unwilling to cross party lines, so they are banding together in a last ditch effort to save the soul of the party.

Democrats Becoming More Liberal

The polarization of America’s parties has been happening for decades. According to Pew Research polls, the Democratic Party in 2000 had roughly 6% and 21% of its members being very liberal and liberal, respectively, a total of 27%, with a similar total of 23% being conservative and very conservative (a net difference of 4%). By 2012, the very liberal wing hit 10% with other liberals accounting for 27%, a 37% total, while the conservatives in the party shrunk to 20% (a net difference of 17%). By 2019, liberals accounted for as much of half the party, 47%, while conservatives shrunk to 14% (a 33% spread).

Pew refined its description of Democrats into seven categories in 2021. The Progressive Left, Outside Left and Establishment Liberals accounted for 12%, 16% and 23%, respectively, a total of 51% of the party. The moderates, which were called Democratic Mainstays and Stressed Sideliners accounted for 28% and 13%, a 41% total. People on the right accounted for less than 8% of the party.

The spread between left and right among Democrats grew from 4% in 2000 to 43% in 2021.

*The Democratic Party had virtually the same number of liberals and conservatives in 2000. In 2021, liberals accounted for a majority, while conservatives had shrunken to a mere 8 percent.*

Educated White people led this polarization of the party. White extremism jumped from 30% to 55% between 2020 and 2019, while Hispanics and Blacks moved from 25% each to 37% and 29% in 2019, respectively. The greater the level of education, the more liberal one became, by an expanding basis more recently.

Liberals Becoming More Anti-Israel

American liberals have become increasingly hostile to the Jewish State.

According to a July 2022 Pew poll, 62% of liberals have an unfavorable opinion of Israel. That is in sharp contrast to 75% of conservatives who have a favorable opinion of Israel. The difference principally comes from young people, where 56% of those aged 18-19 had negative feelings towards Israel while 69% of American Jews over 65 years old had positive views of Israel.

In a related dynamic, Reform Jews are less connected to Israel and more liberal. A May 2021 Pew poll found that 87% of Orthodox Jews believe that God gave the land of Israel to Jews, while only 26% of Reform Jews felt the same. By way of comparison, 70% of White Evangelicals believe God gave the land to Jews. White Evangelicals were also the most likely to view the government of Israel favorably and Palestinian leadership unfavorably. Atheists were most likely to view the Israeli government unfavorably and Palestinians favorably.

Pro-Israel Democrats and Orthodox Liberals In A Bind

The shifting sands have left many people within the party feeling very uncomfortable. Religious Jews and pro-Israel Jews of all denominations feel increasingly marginalized and in strong disagreement with the direction of the Democratic party as it relates to Israel.

Left-wing groups like J Street are actively pushing anti-Israel legislation and promoting anti-Israel candidates for Congress. They are mis-educating progressives that Israel is a horrible country that persecutes Arabs, and that the United States should take aggressive measures against the only Jewish State. They have actively and successfully worked to destroy the bipartisan support that Israel enjoyed for decades.

While the situation has forced some people to leave the Democrats to become Independents or Republicans, many have sought to stay and fight the anti-Zionist tide.

Democratic Majority For Israel (DMFI)

DMFI was started by a political strategist named Mark Mellman. He worked with many Democrats on their campaigns including Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) and Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD). He was joined by other people who worked inside the Democratic party for years, and others who worked for AIPAC, the bipartisan pro-Israel group.

DMFI is attempting to be what J Street claims to be – an actual pro-Israel voice within the Democratic Party. It is working with moderate and progressive Democrats to keep and get them elected, while educating them about the thriving liberal Jewish State.

The new organization is fighting a battle on two fronts.

Its principal opponent is the Republican Jewish Coalition which helps elect pro-Israel Republicans. It’s more immediate threat – and the reason it came into existence – is the far-left pro-Palestinian group J Street.

Some of the most ferocious political battles today are being fought in primaries, not November elections. The far-left wing group Justice Democrats, as well as Democratic Socialists of America are putting significant resources to get anti-Zionist socialists into office. J Street has locked arms with these groups on many occasions, and provides a fig leaf cover for the candidates’ and DSA’s anti-Semitism.

Consider the congressional race in Texas where moderate Democrat Henry Cuellar (one of the most conservative members of the Democratic Party according to govtracks), was targeted by Justice Democrats in the 2020 and 2022 primaries. They put up Jessica Cisneros, a socialist, to combat the moderate pro-Israel Cuellar. J Street poured money to back Cisneros, even though Cisneros had made zero comments and had no track record about Israel. J Street simply locked arms with the most extreme elements of the party, regardless of their views on Israel, despite a tagline which claims that they are “pro-Israel.”

In sharp contrast, DMFI came out strongly for Cuellar. The group posted about Cuellar’s victory: “The race was a test of the political influence of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and the power of Justice Democrats, a progressive group supporting candidates who challenged moderate incumbent Democrats. Cisneros was also backed by Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), as well as J Street PAC. Cuellar, a moderate Democrat, was backed by his party’s establishment and pro-Israel groups including Democratic Majority for Israel and Pro Israel America.“

It is remarkable – and scary – that in addition to a two-party Democrat-Republican dynamic that most of America witnesses, there is a battle inside the Democratic Party between moderates/ DMFI and the alt-left/ Justice Democrats/ J Street wing. Even scarier, the trend lines are now favoring the extremist and anti-Zionist wing, a horrible situation for both the United States and Israel.