Could the Democrats’ Platform Be the End of BDS?

When Democrats gather in Philadelphia on July 25 for their national convention, they will be presented with a “historic” draft platform.

According to a report by The Jerusalem Post, the Democratic Party plans to declare opposition to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement. Renouncing BDS was a top foreign policy of the party’s presidential nominee-in-waiting, Hillary Clinton.

The platform will also declare that Palestinians “should be free to govern themselves in their own viable state, in peace and in dignity.” This was a key demand of Clinton’s primary challenger, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.).

The Democratic Party will also commit itself to “maintaining Israel’s qualitative military edge in the region and oppose any effort to delegitimize Israel.” In addition to BDS, this applied to efforts in the United Nations, an entirely new commitment that is contrary to current Obama Administration efforts. The Post reports:

Utilizing similar language from its 2008 and 2012 platforms, the party once again recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and states that while the city should remain undivided, its final status should be left to direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

In 2012, a line in the policy platform recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel was dropped, but a day later it was reinstated. The reintroduction of the line was equally controversial, and its clumsy handling resulted in a confusing vote and booing on the convention floor.

The new platform language was agreed upon last weekend at a platform committee executive meeting in St. Louis. The draft will be voted upon by the full platform committee next month in Orlando.