The Civil War in the Democratic Party: Pro-Palestine vs. Pro-Israel

In the midst of enraged pro-Palestine protesters demonstrating around the country, the New York Post exposed on Friday that they are  “funded in large part by an uber-wealthy American-born tech entrepreneur, Neville Roy Singham, and his wife, Jodie Evans.”

“Since 2017, Singham has been the main funder of The People’s Forum, which has co-organized at least four protests after 1,200 innocent Israelis were slaughtered by Hamas on Oct. 7.”

“One rally, in Times Square, happened on October 8 before Israel had even counted its dead.”

“Based in Midtown Manhattan, The People’s Forum calls itself a ‘movement incubator for working class and marginalized communities to build unity across historic lines of division at home and abroad.’” More to come on that.

Saturday, a much larger pro-Palestine protest at the California Democratic Convention forced scheduled meetings and convention events to be cancelled. Protestors even blocked the doors of two separate entrances to the Sacramento Convention Center.

“Hundreds of Pro-Palestine demonstrators interrupted California Democrats’ convention on Saturday in Sacramento to call for a cease-fire in Gaza, eventually forcing the cancellation of evening events,” KCRA reported. Reporter Michelle Bandur Tweeted, “Protesters interrupt #CADEM convention.. shouting ‘Cease Fire in Gaza’ while Rep. Katie Porter speaks. Kicked out of hall into lobby for sit-in.”

Protesters interrupt #CADEM convention.. shouting “Cease Fire in Gaza” while Rep. Katie Porter speaks. Kicked out of hall into lobby for sit-in. @kcranews pic.twitter.com/SNyGzIR3qZ

— Michelle Bandur KCRA (@MBandurKCRA) November 18, 2023

CBS News offered more details:

“At the corner of 15th and J Street, thousands of protesters gathered in front of the Sacramento Auditorium. Hundreds of Palestinian flags were in the air Saturday afternoon as people chanted and called for a cease-fire in Gaza.

This all started with a sit-in protest inside the Safe Credit Union Convention Center. The interruption forced the Democratic convention to come to a standstill for several hours.

Shortly after, demonstrators were seen leaving the convention center, marching down J Street and converging in front of the auditorium.

For several hours, the Sacramento Police Department shut down J Street between 14th and 16th streets, leading to a massive traffic back-up stretching to the I Street bridge.

Politico reporter Dustin Gardiner posted many updates:

Protesters chanting “to the doors” have overtaken security and have control of entrance to #CADem convention hall. Here’s the moment when it happened. pic.twitter.com/xQlSFO2wUX

— Dustin Gardiner (@dustingardiner) November 19, 2023

What is going on in the Democrat Party?

Following the Hamas missiles attacks from the Gaza Strip into Israel on October 7, killing 1,400 Israeli citizens, Democrats’ deep divide over support for Israel or pro-Palestine, as well as the U.S. response to the war, has bubbled to the surface.

Israel is now at war with Hamas. And Hezbollah.

A November Quinnipiac Poll found:

“60 percent of Democrats disapprove of the Israeli response to the Oct. 7 attack with 27 percent approving. Democrats were also split on whether to send more military aid to Israel, with 48 percent against it and 45 percent in support.”

Republicans (73 – 18 percent) approve of Israel’s response, while Democrats (60 – 27 percent) disapprove. Independents are divided, with 44 percent disapproving and 40 percent approving.

The responses broken down by age are:

• 18 to 34 year olds: 20 percent approve, while 66 percent disapprove in today’s poll compared to November 2 when 32 percent approved and 52 percent disapproved.
• 35 to 49 year olds: 43 percent approve, while 41 percent disapprove in today’s poll compared to November 2 when 48 percent approved and 38 percent disapproved.
• 50 to 64 year olds: 58 percent approve, while 29 percent disapprove in today’s poll compared to November 2 when 58 percent approved and 26 percent disapproved.
• 65 years and over: 57 percent approve, while 32 percent disapprove in today’s poll compared to November 2 when 59 percent approved and 27 percent disapproved.

As the anti-Israel, pro-Palestine protesters stormed the Sacramento Convention Center shutting down events, they chanted “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

“The slogan has been widely interpreted as a call for Israel, which is located between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, to be eradicated and replaced by ‘Palestine,’” The Algemeiner explains. “It has also been used to defend the deadly Hamas terrorist attacks against Israel that took place on Oct. 7.”

California State Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) issued a press statement late Saturday evening condemning the disruptive protests:

“Today, anti-Israel protesters stormed the Sacramento Convention Center and shut down the grassroots California Democratic Party Convention. In doing so, they chanted, among other things, ‘from the river to the sea,’ which is a call for the eradication of the State of Israel. They also chanted ‘resistance is justified when people are occupied,’ an apparent reference to Hamas’s October 7 attack — the largest mass murder, rape, and kidnapping of Jews since the Holocaust.

“A number of Jewish delegates — who were already very anxious attending the convention, given the spike in antisemitism since the October 7 massacre by Hamas — now believe it is unsafe to participate at all. We must never allow the Democratic Party to be unsafe for anyone.

“We fully support the right to protest loudly and vociferously. But storming through security and shutting down a democratic process — particularly with chants calling for the destruction of Israel and appearing to justify the Hamas attack — is completely unacceptable.”

Sen. Wiener has consistently called for the war in Gaza to end quickly, and the hostages released — “every single one of them.”

“So many of us want the rockets and the bombing of Gaza to stop. So many of us want a ceasefire and release of all hostages,” Wiener said. “So many of us want residents of Gaza to receive immediate, ample humanitarian aid. In addition, Hamas must no longer be in a position to massacre Israelis and others.”

Scott Wiener loses a lot of pro-Israel supporters with his call for Israel to “replace the right-wing Netanyahu government with a government that will pursue peace and a two-state solution.” However, political statements aside, Senator Wiener’s pro-Israel statements clearly go against many in his party, and have been unequivocal.

Unfortunately, in California, most Democrats have been silent about the unbridled explosion of antisemitism at public campuses in University of California, and California State University.

November 7th, the California Jewish Legislative Caucus, co-chaired by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino) sent a letter calling on University of California President Michael V. Drake and California State University Chancellor Mildred García to act to counter the wave of antisemitic incidents sweeping their campuses since Hamas’s terrorist attack on October 7.

By November 15th, the University of California announced it was pledging $7 million to address Islamophobia and antisemitism on campuses, EdSource reported.

However, UC President Michael Drake doesn’t provide many details as to how the $7 million will be used other than “emergency mental health resources,” for “students, faculty or staff struggling with recent events or with the climate on their campus.’”  He did assure that they will be “responding appropriately to incidents of violence,” and creating “a systemwide civil rights office.”

Drake said “$2 million will go toward new educational programs across the campuses, including programs focused on better understanding antisemitism and Islamophobia and the history of the Middle East. The remaining $2 million will go toward training campus leadership, faculty and staff who want ‘guidance on how to navigate their roles as educators in this space.’”

It sounds to me that UC President Drake has a serious HR crisis on his hands – as well as a politically and sociologically ideological crisis, which has been brewing for years, unfettered by any university leadership. It’s far too easy to spend the public’s millions with no real results – as long as it appears you are doing something to stave the conflicts.

Back to the California Democratic Convention protestors – how did it end? Did they all come together, sing Kumbaya, and pencil out an agreement? Nope.

Protesters really needed to use the loo but were denied:

The @CA_Dem convention is now sorts of amusement.
The protestors are facing restroom issues and come to a bad dilemma. #CADem pic.twitter.com/mIIlWoJewU

— Allen J. Wilson 🇺🇸 🇮🇹 🇮🇪 (@AllenJWilson) November 19, 2023

Protesters demanding the Gaza cease-fire disrupted each of the speeches by the three congressional representatives – Rep. Katie Porter, Rep. Adam Schiff and Rep. Barbara Lee – running for California’s open United States Senate seat. And then protesters held a sit-in.

While there were many social media posts about the melee, former State Senator Melissa Melendez summed up the protests at the Democrat Convention quite succinctly:

“Pro Hamas protesters stormed the #CADem convention hall after they broke open doors. So much hate in one room. So much hate within one political party. Antisemitism is alive and well in the democrat party.”

Pro Hamas protesters stormed the #CADem convention hall after they broke open doors. So much hate in one room. So much hate within one political party. Antisemitism is alive and well in the democrat party. pic.twitter.com/N1WsZmpM7N

— Senator Melissa Melendez (@senatormelendez) November 19, 2023