Democratic National Committee split over arms embargo on Israel

The US Democratic Party is split between progressives and moderates on whether to call for an arms embargo and suspension of military aid to Israel over Gaza.

The Democratic National Committee took up two resolutions during its summer meeting on Tuesday in Aurora, Illinois, which would lay out how the party responds to Israel’s war on Gaza, which has been deemed a genocide by international rights groups and scholars worldwide. 

The resolution calling for an arms embargo and an end to US military aid for Israel was introduced by 26-year-old DNC member from Florida, Allison Minnerly, reflecting young Democrats' anger at Israel.

Minnerly’s resolution was defeated in a vote that took place without protest. A separate resolution introduced by DNC chairman Ken Martin initially passed the committee, but he removed it, saying he wanted to find a path to keep the Democratic Party “unified”.

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